


The Flat

by luciferneedsconcent, TwilightDeLucca



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Benny, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, M/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Omega Castiel/Alpha Dean Winchester, Omega Samandriel (Supernatural), Omega Samandriel/Alpha Benny, Tags Contain Spoilers, Teacher Castiel, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2018-12-16 13:28:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11829705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luciferneedsconcent/pseuds/luciferneedsconcent, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightDeLucca/pseuds/TwilightDeLucca
Summary: As little boys, Dean and Castiel were inseparable. That was until they both left for college, taking them to different places and making them lose contact. And now, thanks to a flat tire, they are reunited.





	1. Preface

 

Castiel Novak. A man who got a little too excited when it came to talking about fish. Like, ridiculously excited. Whenever he had a chance to stand in front of his less than impressed students and talk about aquatic life, his entire face would light up. Of course, he had earned himself a reputation as the "Dorky" teacher who made awkward jokes to engage his students, but that just came with being him. The first impression he gave off helped the students on their journey of forever making fun of him. He wore a tropical looking button down with Mahi Mahi decorating it. Around his neck, he wore a bowtie which was painted as a lobster, and khaki shorts. To complete his look, he wore sandals (without socks). He had a bit of a scruff, which definitely made some of the females slightly more attracted to him. He had also just transferred from a school in Australia, where he had developed a tan.  

Dean Winchester on the other hand was the complete opposite. He had grease under his nails, smudged on his face, and wore jeans and t-shirts with heavy duty steel toed boots. He had a tan but only because he worked outside when he wasn't at the mechanic shop. He was a fun-loving guy and always had a smile. His girlfriend Lisa Braeden loved to brag about how strong he was but he'd grown up here and everyone knew him. They knew that Dean was only with Lisa because Cas was gone. They also knew that the moment Cas came back, she'd be history. Just like all the others. So the town bided its time. Waiting for Cas to come back as well.

By luck, a Marine Biology position opened up at the local university and Dean quickly emailed Cas about it.


	2. Cas' Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean really hopes Cas comes back. He also gets a really annoying customer with a bitch of a car.

**To: Castiel Novak**  
**From: Dean Winchester**  
**Sub: Spot open at the college.**

 _Hey Cas!_  
_So there's a spot open for a marine biology teacher at the college. I immediately thought of you. Are you interested? If you are, then call Missouri and tell her._

Dean attached several photos.

He sent the email before he could delete it and sighed as he noticed his break was over. Dean got up and headed out when a ugly looking Continental pulled up. A woman with dark hair, garish makeup and a predatory look got out. He sighed again. It was gonna be a long day. He could already feel it.

* * *

 

The email, unfortunately, wasn't received. Since their days of childhood fun, Cas' email had changed. It was mainly due to one of his ex schoolmates who had gotten too obsessed with him. That was the bad part of rooming with an Alpha. They had tried to date and hope that things would work out, but the Alpha was more set on illegal whaling than going scuba diving. It was a shame, on Cas' part. He was getting to that point in life where he wanted to settle down and start a family. There just didn't seem to be any decent guys around. 

That was when moving to Australia seemed like a good idea. He would be out on the gold coast, learn to surf, and meet up with pretty blonde boys who had cute accents. He met a man named David Lassiter there. It was silly, really. They were both going out to sea with a group of tourists to get in the water with a bunch of sharks. David was too afraid to get in, but Cas coaxed him in by saying he was a professional who studied the animals and that everything was safe. 

Their relationship spiraled from then. It quickly got to the point where Cas swore off men, and moved back home where he knew he would be safe. He knew the people, he liked the people, and coincidentally, there was an opening in the science department of the local university. He applied (though had special connections since he attended) and was approved to begin teaching. 

Three weeks later and Castiel had moved into a tiny apartment just two blocks away from his childhood home. He had a one bedroom, one bath where the kitchen joined with the living room. It wasn't big for any tanks, or company, for that matter, but it was his. He had Guy Harvey art everywhere he could, and on a small tablet hooked up some videos he had took when he went diving. Maybe he'd bring them to school to show his students one day.

Cas gave himself some time to adjust before he started work that Monday. He used the weekend to visit all of his and Dean's old hot spots. The cafe, arcade, and movie theater. Everyone recognized him and bought him a few drinks. They complimented him on his academic success and asked for all of his cool stories. He told them a few, sugar coating all of the times where he may have messed up. The local news even came down at one point to write a story about his return.

Soon came the day where he started teaching at the college, and he was nervous.

* * *

 

The woman promptly pushed her way to the front desk when Dean had looked up from his computer. "Excuse me, but I have been waiting here for over an hour! When are you going to attend to your customers!?" she had, in fact, not been there for two minutes. She was also the only one in line.

Dean looked up and sighed. "How can I help you?" He asked in the least interested voice possible. He had been busy watching Cas on the news. He had come back! Dean was anxious to get this ugly bitch out of his shop so he could go see his best friend.

He texted his dad to please help him or he was going to kill himself. This woman was making his head hurt. Dean might have been an Alpha but even _he_ had his limits. Plus his and Lisa's relationship was on the rocks and they had been up the night before fighting bitterly.

After Dean got the obnoxious woman out of the way, he left for the day and hoped he'd be able to track Cas down to meet up again. It was just his fucking luck that he got a flat on the way home to change.


	3. The Flat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, it begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Heck! We only have two chapters and already have 300+ reads. Thank you so much!

Castiel's first day on the job hadn't gone as swimmingly as he had hoped. He figured that the students would at least have the decency to talk or joke about him behind his back, but apparently he hadn't earned that type of decency yet. They had all interrupted his lesson to ask if he had done it with any sharks, or if he saw any Mermaids. It drove him insane--especially when all the students wanted to talk about was mythical beasts like the Lockness monster. As a teacher, he felt like he had completely failed his students. And on the first day, too!

Thankfully, not all of them gave him a headache. Some seemed generally interested, and stopped by to warn him about certain students. One girl even brought him a binder with all of the people she knew had just taken the class for kicks. Her name was, coincidentally, Cassie, and she was a teaching assistant. She had a deal with the Principal where she could warn all new teachers about whoever the trouble kids were as a means of preparing them for...literally, anything. The Marine Biology portion of the science department seemed to get hit harder with each teacher they brought in. The last one had left because a student had removed her eel from the tank and smuggled it out of the classroom in his pants. 

 

With the day finally over, Castiel decided it would be in his best interest to go home. He had emails to send out, phone calls to make, and needed to YouTube tutorials on 'How to get your students to like you.' He walked to his car, a heritage burgundy 1962 Ford Thunderbird. As per Lawrence University's tradition, whenever a new teacher was introduced, the student body would go and trash their car. Castiel, luckily, had showed up just in time before there was any permanent damage. A few students were spray painting 'Ask Me About My Crabs!' in yellow spray paint across the side of his car. They had ran away when he showed up, which helped him to avoid any keying and glass breaking or tire slashing. He unlocked the door and dumped his satchel in the passenger seat. He pulled his seatbelt on, closed the door, readjusted his mirrors (damn college kids) and started his car. Cas made sure he used every precaution in the book when it came to pulling out of the parking lot. Some of the students were risk takers who wanted to die young, and Cas wasn't about to wreck his vehicle with some stupid millennial blood. 

When the parking lot was mostly cleared out, Castiel made his way home. He appreciated the scenery whenever he got to a red light, and noted any changes that may have been made while he was gone. He ended up making a U-turn at one point, when he found out that he had made a wrong turn and needed to go another way. Ahead, however, he could see the silhouette of a vehicle a little shorter than his pulled up on the side of the road. As he neared, he saw a man hunched over one of the front wheels, obviously pissed about getting...a flat. That's what it was. Being the gentleman that he was (and having several kind strangers help him out whenever something happened with his car in the past) Cas took is upon himself to pull over behind the vehicle and help the man out. He grabbed his toolbox from the backseat and hopped out. "Need a hand?"

* * *

 

Dean couldn't believe his luck. The very man he'd been looking for showed up out of nowhere. "Damn you look good." He said as he stood up.

Dean felt a little ashamed that he couldn't change a stupid flat for all of two seconds. His happiness at seeing his best friend overshadowed any shame Dean might have felt.

"Thanks for stopping Cas. I can't get my tire off. Which is dumb considering I'm a mechanic." Dean said.

* * *

Castiel, undoubtedly, was taken aback by the sudden nickname. He hadn't heard it in years, and accompanied by 'Damn, you look good' no less. In retrospect, it took him a lot longer to process who had said it than he would've liked to admit. "Hello, Dean." the name rolled off his tongue smoothly; like it belonged there. "After all these years, I figured you would've been more prepared for a flat tire." 

He spent no time getting to his knees and undoing the latches of his red, heavy duty toolkit. He pulled the lid back, and on the top compartment of the shelf had Jack. "Smart putting the wheel wedges in front. Makes my life easier." he mumbled, beginning to pump the Jack so that the back end of the Impala was raised. When it was how he wanted it, Castiel grabbed his lug wrench (as the lugnuts were already exposed) and placed it over the first lug. He twisted it counterclockwise, making him sweat with an impressive ferocity. Eventually, all of the lugnuts were removed, and he was able to pull the tire off. 

Discarding the flat tire to the side, Castiel took the liberty of picking up the new tire that Dean had removed from the trunk. Cas pushed it on carefully, and applied the lug bolts on one by one by hand. When they were tight, he used the Jack to lower the Impala back down again and used the lug wrench to tighten the bolts once more. 

When he was finished, Castiel returned his tools back to the safety of his toolbox. He stood up, and began to test the pressure of the new tire. He beamed proudly to himself, wiping his hands together to spread the grease around. "That'll be fifty dollars, please. I have an imaginary family who I've got to feed." 

* * *

 

Dean laughed. He'd missed his best friend. "Fuck I missed you." He said. Dean was glad that it was indeed him and not someone else.

"How about instead of fifty bucks, I treat you to pizza and beer at my place?" Dean asked as he put the flat in the trunk and closed it.

Now that Castiel was back, Dean was hoping he could get to know his friend again. Though he secretly wanted more than friends.

* * *

 


	4. Raincheck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having to give Dean a raincheck, Castiel is finally able to come over and rekindle what once was with him.

Castiel had to give Dean a rain check that evening. It had gotten late, and he had to be up early the next morning for a staff meeting. It was silly, really, but he wanted to get paid, so he had to make those kinds of sacrifices. _Adulting was stupid_ ; but a necessary stupid. 

After making sure that the Impala started and would make it back to Dean's place, Castiel had climbed back into his Thunderbird and driven back to his apartment. He spent a good three hours looking at tutorials on how to connect with students, not understanding how some teachers could carry on for twenty years and feel accomplished with their lives. 

He had gone to bed after his usual contemplative shower. Warm, wet, and existential crises prone. Though, he usually got out before he started panicking. 

This went on for the rest of the week. Wake up, coffee run, get to the university, and start a day of trying to connect with his students. He'd get home, defeated, but still hopeful. Then he would get in his car, go home, do some grading and catch up on any of the news he missed out on during the day. The local newspaper came right to his door (the paper boy really deserved more than a nickel for his efforts) and he'd unwind to it. 

 

Saturday couldn't come soon enough. Him and Dean had agreed to meet up since they couldn't during the week. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been looking forward to it. Dean had stayed there, so he would know all of the town gossip. Before he went to Dean's new place (thank-you GPS) he stopped at the nearest grocery store to pick up some pie and whipped cream--his favorite.

* * *

 

Dean was excited as hell to meet up with Cas after so long. He'd begged his dad for Saturday off. He even volunteered to work his other days off if he could just please _please_ have Saturday. Mary had helped convince John that it was the least he could do since Dean normally worked his butt off when he was at the shop.

He had cleaned his whole place like mad. He didn't want Cas to think he was a slob or something. Lisa didn't live with him thankfully. He'd made that a deal breaker when they first started dating. Dean had a feeling they'd be breaking up soon. And knowing his girlfriend like he did, the breakup would be public and it'd be bad.

Dean put Lisa out of his mind and focused on Cas. He wasn't gonna let her ruin this for him. It had been ten years since he'd seen Cas and he'd be damned if he worried about his bitch girlfriend while he was hanging with his best friend.

He'd gone out for a run around the town, showered, cleaned more, and been too nervous to eat so he ordered double the usual pizza.

* * *

The drive to Dean's new place was pleasant. It was a back road around the main city, and easy on the tires since it was a dirt road. As for besides him, pine trees grouped together to block the sun from around him. 

He turned into the driveway, going slow over the gravel. He pulled into a parking space and turned the engine off. Then he grabbed his grocery bag of pie and cream and went to knock on the door.

* * *

Dean utilized some meditation breathing for a moment before he went to the door when he heard the knock. He opened the door and smiled brightly. "Hey Cas." Dean greeted happily. He stepped aside so that he could come inside.

Dean had chosen his house for a number of reasons. The first and foremost being privacy. The scenery was a good second choice, and the quiet at night was a good third. His ranch style house was settled on twenty acres of land that he had plans for as he got more money from expanding the mechanic shop to include detailing, paint, custom jobs, and a classic cars department. Dean just had to convince his dad that he could do it.

He decided that honesty was the best policy with Cas because he didn't want secrets between them.

* * *

 

When Dean pulled the door open and stepped aside, Castiel slipped in over the threshold. "Your place is absolutely beautiful." he smiled, turning on his heel to offer the pie and whipped cream to his childhood friend. "I remember a certain five-year-old Dean Winchester telling me he'd never grow old of apple pie and whipped cream. So, consider this a late welcoming gift to your house." Cas' smile lit up his entire face; the kind of smile that made his cheeks hollow into dimples deep enough to curl into. 

 

Dean couldn't believe Castiel had remembered. His face lit up with a huge grin and he laughed. "Oh my God Cas! I can't believe you remembered that!" He said happily as he took the pie and hugged him with one arm before he went to go put the pie in the fridge to heat up later. Dean quickly returned and gave Castiel a proper hug. He'd missed his friend so much. "I missed you so much Cas. God it's good to see you again. I want to take this time to talk. Tell you everything that happened while you were gone." Dean said as he led Castiel to the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> LNC here to give you all an update (:  
> I had to evacuate for hurricane Irma, and by the time you are reading this, I will be back home safe and sound with all of my animals (I had to leave my pony at home!)
> 
> And as an aside, I write Cas' parts while Twilight DeLucca writes Dean's. I was thinking we could do individual filler chapters based on a character if you'd like to see more of them!
> 
> Additionally, if there is anything you'd like incorporated into the story, shoot us a comment down below! I try to respond to comments a day after a chapter goes up since my phone isn't fond of giving me updates.


	5. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean have a rendezvous.

For some odd reason that Cas couldn't put his finger on, the overwhelming response to remembering something so simple made his heart melt and warm every inch of his round, tan face. It wasn't like that was a new feeling with Dean. He always seemed to get excited whenever he would remember simple things--even as kids. Castiel had always disregarded it for him not having a strong support system, or a good enough friend base. Then again, he assumed that he had been that for him all those years. And now, since he had overthought it, his heart concaved when he realized that he had left his best friend because he thought he'd find something greater with the world. "Alright, alright," he chuckled, gently easing his way to sit. He leaned back and stretched his arms across the throw pillows that lined each seat. "Well, at first it was a rough start," he began.

"I went to a school in Florida for my graduate school since I'm not a dumbass who paid an expensive university for general undergrad classes." he shook his head just trying to wrap his head around those type of idiot decisions. "I did a lot of hands-on stuff there. The teachers were great. We'd get to go out and tag sharks, and work with lion fish. We also worked on coral preservation, and occasionally were able to work in a lab with extra smart scientists who were trying to track future evolutions within marine animals and plants." he spoke highly about what he learned in Florida, and the people there. He talked about how he graduated top of his class (which got him lots of attention from the Marine Bio obsessed ladies) and all of the nervous butterflies he had gotten just before he walked across the stage to receive his degree. "Since I had sent out applications before I graduated, I received an enormous amount of responses--mainly because I was a Teacher's Pet who got a recommendation from all of my professors." he smiled proudly about that fact. "That's when I ended up moving to Queensland, Australia for a bit." All of a sudden, his face had turned bright scarlet. "I learned a few things, in Australia," his tone had dropped from its usual excitement to a more secretive one; like a parent mumbling to their significant other about which presents "Santa" was about to bring. Castiel hesitated, eyes darting across Dean's own. His mouth dried, skin itched, and he could feel his heart beating faster than a New York minute. Why was he so nervous to tell Dean this? They were best friends. Dean always kept his secrets locked away. "I discovered--if that's how you want to put it--that I, uhm," he chuckled anxiously at his own nerves, "that I enjoy the company of...men..." his eyes turned downcast for a moment, only to reluctantly look back up to Dean with nervous wonderment.

It wasn't that Castiel thought Dean would murder him if he were gay. His friend was never known to judge anyone no matter how they were built. Maybe it was more of an intimidation thing? Dean came across as such a macho, confident guy who could walk up to anybody and flirt his way into their heart. Castiel had never picked up any Gaydar™ from him, though his own recent sonar was picking up some interesting readings. But, Dean was only interested in women. Not that it would matter to Cas, anyways. Was he silly for thinking he'd find solace in his friend? He needed to cover himself.

"But that's not really important." the words couldn't fumble out fast enough. "I met a guy, over in Australia." he cautiously began to explain. "We met at a little tourist attraction--one of those lame boat rides out into the ocean that puts you in a cage to get you closer to some sharks. He and I talked the entire ride out, he was absolutely terrified of getting into the cage and becoming Sharkbait -so he said he'd end up being." a peculiar fondness fluttered in Cas' chest. It was all so insane. The way he and David had just connected. How something so simple could pull them into a relationship. That was a memory he occasionally reminisced. The initial butterflies, the jolt of electricity from fingers to skin. If he closed his eyes, he could just barely taste the saltiness of David's lips after the dinner date they went on immediately after. He clung to that feeling like an infant to its mother. Because no matter how horrible a situation ended up, Castiel chose to remember the good. Nobody was made up of all of their flaws. And he would forever carry that mentality with him.

"Anyways, our relationship turned sour. I was too dependent on him, and he needed his space. Lack of communication got the better of us, and we both did some pretty nasty things. At the end of it all, I needed to get away. I needed to be in a place where I knew everybody, where I could settle down and recuperate from all of the excitement that Australia bestowed me." Mentioning the past relationship made him feel sick, for lack of a better word. It had been much worse than lack of communication, much more sour than he'd ever thought he would be in. David wasn't a kind man. He needed to be right all of the time. He was paranoid, jealous, controlling. He would hover over Castiel and snatch his phone out of his hands. Cas couldn't even shower without David's eagle eye on him. "Somebody could be hiding behind the curtain." David would argue, and Cas, poor, naïve Cas, was stupid enough to bend over backwards to please his ridiculous boyfriend.

"So that's why I came back home." he smiled sheepishly, hoping to mask the uneasy feelings that lingered in the pit of his stomach. "And to my luck, I pulled up behind some weird guy who couldn't even fix a flat tire. Some mechanic, huh?"

Dean laughed. "Yeah. Dad would kick my ass if he knew I couldn't change that tire. I went to college and got a degree in automotive and business. I've dated around and I'm currently in the process of breaking up with Lisa. She and I aren't.....good for each other. She wants things that I don't. I only dated her because she was there when I um..... I came out of my dark place. And I'm glad you're gay." He said. Dean was ashamed and afraid Castiel wouldn't like him anymore if he talked about the dark years he'd been through in college. He had been so happy when Castiel remembered the things from their childhood and it made him feel warm and less worthless than he already felt. Dean hid those feelings deep down so that his parents didn't know.

Cas' right eyebrow raised briefly. So briefly that Dean would have focused on that small part of his face to even notice it. _"And I'm glad you're gay."_ the words barely computed into his brain. Still, dwelling on something like this wasn't healthy. It'd only get his hopes up, only to have them crash land. "It's a shame about you and Lisa," Castiel tried to convince himself this more than offer any solace. "She had a crush on you since middle school. She even snuck a note in my lunchbox one time asking me to help convince you to go out with her." he chuckled. He wouldn't admit to it, but he never liked Lisa. She was too complicated. She'd either want Dean all to herself, or scream at him to never come back. If Dean were going to spend his life with a woman, Cas would make sure it would be a good one. "You know you can trust me with anything, right?" his voice was smooth as he stared into his best friend's eyes, trying to get him to believe it. Cas was just nosy as hell and liked to hear gossip, but Dean didn't need to know that. "You want to talk about it?"

"About Lisa? Sure I guess. She and I started great. Then she got possessive and jealous of everyone I talked to. I kept telling myself that dating another Alpha would be okay, but I was wrong. The last straw was when she tried to treat me like an Omega. I told her she was earning a one way ticket to the curb. And we've been fighting bitterly ever since." Dean said.

He took a bite of pizza and chewed. "Can I take you out on a date?" Dean asked.

Castiel listened intently while Dean talked about his relationship with Lisa. So, Dean had presented as an Alpha, it seemed. Though he hated to admit it, Castiel always had a sneaking suspicion that he'd be one. As for himself, he had presented as an Omega; and he could confirm that it sucked. Constantly getting pushed around just because you're somewhat smaller than the other Alphas in the world, having to swallow suppressants so he wouldn't get his heat, and everything else that came with it. He was about to get a sip of beer when his throat tightened, causing him to cough violently. Had Dean just--? He did, didn't he? _"What?"_

"A date." Dean rubbed the back of his neck nervously. The same nervous habit he'd had since childhood. He wasn't one hundred percent gay but he'd dated a few men and he found he leaned more toward them than women. Men were usually less dramatic than women were. "I'll understand if you say no. I mean you just got back and we haven't seen each other in years and I'm sure you have a great boyfriend that you really like and I'm just babbling like a moron because I don't want you to say no but I bet you will." Dean said. _'Way to go Winchester. Babbling like an idiot and looking like an Alpha that just popped his first knot.'_ Dean thought.

 _No. no. no. no. no. no._ Alpha's were nothing but trouble. Absolutely not. No way in hell would Castiel ever--"I'd love to." he smiled awkwardly, absentmindedly copying Dean's nervous scratch of the neck movement. "But after you break up with your girlfriend. I prefer my dates single." Castiel could feel his face burn with each lingering second of this bold conversation. It made him feel awkward as hell to feel like a teenager all over again. He needed to find another topic to talk about. "So, care to give me the grand tour of your estate?" he teased.

Dean grinned brightly, exposing his own dimples and lighting his eyes up. "Hell yes!" He replied joyfully. He couldn't believe Castiel had really said yes! He'd break up with Lisa tomorrow. Dean took Castiel's hand and tugged him out of the living room. "This hall leads to the kitchen, a bathroom, and two guest rooms then the back yard." He said as he showed Castiel each room briefly. Dean pointed to the stairs. "That's where four more guest rooms and the master bedroom are as well as another bathroom and my master en suite bathroom." He said as he led him to the backyard where it looked like a botanical gardens threw up on the ground. "This is my garden. I sectioned it off according to what I'm growing. It's pretty big so I put a gazebo with a table and chairs in the middle and in the flower section, I put in some bee and butterfly towers where they can nest if they want." Dean said as he showed Castiel the different sections via the stone paths he put in between the sections.

Holding Dean's hand was enough to rattle Castiel's bones. The roughness of worn skin contrasted by the gentleness of his grip. Something so firm, yet delicate in the moment. With each travel to a new room, Dean would get excited and squeeze his hand; which he would return, because he wasn't a neanderthal. Cas could feel his eyes widen at the garden. Towers of trees loomed overhead, all careful not to extend over the pathway. What gripped Castiel's curiosity more? The bees, or the numerous sections which apparently existed? "How many parts are there?"

"There's the orchards waaaaay in the back of the property and then there's the flowers which span four sections and the herbs that span three. The vegetables span five sections." Dean replied as he stopped at each section to show Castiel. Dean talked about what kind of plants he planted and how he took care of them and how he used them to make dishes and decorate the kitchen table and make his house smell and look nice. He told Castiel about how he gave them to Sam's girlfriend Jess to make things to help heal people. Dean talked about how when fruit harvesting time came around, he hired townspeople that needed the money to pick for him. And how he paid an honest and fair wage for their work.

Next, Dean showed him the stables where the horses were. He talked about how he got each horse from a horse rescue center. How they came afraid until he showed them that they were safe. Dean talked about how he bonded with each horse so that they were gentle and pup friendly. How he made time to take each one out for a ride so that they got the exercise they needed.

Being the animal lover that he was, Cas had instantly bonded with the closest stallion to him. He knew this specific breed like the back of his hand, since he had once gone through a horse phase of his own (which Dean never let him live down for _YEARS_ ). Dean had himself a black and white tobiano paint horse that stood at about sixteen hands, and inspired Castiel to drone on and on about the breed. For instance, how they were a special breed that had been made by crossing other spotted breeds like Quarter Horsed and Thoroughbreds. This, of course, led him to talk about the American Paint Horse Association which classified them as its own breed with special characteristics rather than a color breed. At some point Castiel stopped paying attention to what he was saying and started to trace his index finger over the name embellished on the stable door. "Max, huh?" he smiled, earning the stallion's ears to direct their attention to him. "Have you been out on a ride yet today, Max?" he asked, turning a pleading look (complete with puppy eyes) to his host.

Dean grinned. "Max has not been out today. And neither has Macy. In fact I didn't take them out for this specific purpose." He said. Dean got them out of their stalls and rubbed both of their noses as he greeted them and got their gear ready.

Macy was a fifteen hand high Palomino that was abandoned as a filly because she wasn't a colt. Dean got the call about her from the horse rescue and immediately picked her up. She was his baby. Dean raised her and she only responded well to him. Because of that, he wouldn't let anyone else ride her. Macy was his.

"You remember how to saddle a horse don't you?" Dean asked.

Castiel rolled his eyes. Dean apparently knew him better than he thought. "Five years in pony camp and you have the _nerve_ to ask me if I remember how to put a saddle on? Please, you know me better than that!" he scoffed playfully.

Dean laughed and led both horses out of their stalls so that they could be saddled. "Alright then smart ass. Let's get this ride underway. And Cas try to keep up when we get out there." He teased the Omega.

The two men got their horses tacked. For safety and comfort purposes, they put blankets on before the saddles, and made sure the saddles they used had a horn on it just in case they needed to hold on for whatever reason. They also wore helmets since safety was the most important thing when it came to working with large animals. When they were settled on their horses, they rode further out into Dean's property for a closer look.

Dean led Macy along the now familiar route to the orchards. "Here's a much larger area for parties and such. We do birthdays here." He said as they rode by. Dean pointed as they got to the first section of the orchards. "These are all peach trees." He said as he rode between the rows.

Castiel made sure to "ooo" and "aaaah" at all of the plants. He'd make sure Max was still on the trail, and occasionally asked questions about how Dean managed to work full time and still manage to keep all of the property well maintained. He made sure to take mental notes for himself, having a feeling that he would need to know some of this stuff later on.

"Mom made me hire a part-time gardener to take care of the plants while I'm at work during the week." Dean replied as he walked Macy.

"The next section is apple trees." Dean said.

As the two enjoyed small talk as they leisured their way around Dean's field, the sun kissed the sky goodnight while the stars came out to play. Cas noted how the moonlight turned Dean into a silhouette, the careful simplicity of each turn of his head that glistened in the evening light. He noted how Dean's body seemed to relax now. How it wasn't so tense and masculine like it had been before. He also noticed the delicacy of how he held the reigns, like it wasn't even worth trying. It was beautiful, living in the moment. The type of moment that couldn't be captured on film. The kind that everyone could imagine, but never produce.

Dean loved the night. When night fell, he didn't have to keep up appearances. Dean was free to be himself. No masks and no airs. Just Dean. "I love the night. It's freedom from life." He said.

Castiel rolled his eyes, knowing the darkness of the night would mask his face. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he released a soft yawn. "I should probably hit the road," he whispered, cautious to not disturb the night. "It's getting late."

"I have a guest room. It's not safe to drive when you're tired." Dean said. Plus he didn't want to say good-bye yet.

"You have a _billion_ guest rooms." Cas snorted, nudging his friend with his elbow. He was about to argue with going home when another yawn overcame him, making him easier to convince. "I guess staying over for one night wouldn't hurt." he mused.

Castiel and Dean rode back to the stables, careful to tend to the horses before they left for the evening. Cas made sure to take Max's tack off while Dean worked with Macy's. He picked the stallion's hooves at the end of the ride and made sure he had plenty of food and water. He did the same for Macy when it came to checking troughs, but ultimately left Dean to do the physical labor. Cas _was_ a guest, afterall.

When the horses were in their stables, Castiel followed Dean inside the house. A slight blush dusted over his cheeks before it was wiped away. He followed his host around, being shown where the bathroom and his bedroom were. He grabbed a towel and a set of pajamas that Dean had lent him for the night. It might've been weird for some, but Cas had grown so used to wearing Dean's clothes over the years that it had become second nature. 

Cas shuffled his way into the bathroom and stripped down. He pulled the shower curtain back, stepped in, and quickly started to wash the sweat and grime from his body. How he managed to get mosquito residue stuck in his sweaty arm hair, he had no idea. He also took the liberty of using Dean's shampoo and conditioner. Apparently his host was still adamant about keeping his hair strictly to name brands. Not that Cas minded Pantene, but he always saw Dean as more of an Axe kind of guy.

After his shower, Castiel dried down with the towel and pulled the pajamas on. A gray, long sleeved tee shirt with a red and black pair of bottoms. It was starting to get a bit chilly outside, now that the fall semester had begun; and Dean was always so anal about him "layering up" during the colder part of the year. Dean was just weird like that. He liked to know Cas wouldn't get hypothermia, no matter Cas' attempts to explain that he couldn't get it with thirty pairs of clothing on. 

Regardless of the attire, Cas exited the bathroom and climbed into bed. He left his dirty laundry in the bathroom, an old habit that drove Dean up the wall when they were kids. He had adopted that habit ever since, just to piss the mother loving fuck out of his friend. He smiled fondly at the memory of Dean whining about "having to constantly pick up after" him. And with that, the lamp on the nightstand was turned off, legs tucked into the duvet, and Cas was off into a world locked behind closed eyes.

Dean went to go pick up Castiel's clothes out of the bathroom and snorted. Sam would be so upset that Cas used his Pantene and Dean would hear him whine about it for days. Ah well. He could always ignore his brother or pretend he didn't speak moose. How his girly as fuck brother became an Alpha, Dean would never know. He thought Sam would present Omega for sure. 

John was nice enough (aka Mary bribed him with hot, kinky sex) to give Dean three days off instead of the one so he had nothing to do tomorrow. Dean made sure the house wasn't too cold or too hot and ran the laundry through the washer. He put the clothes in the dryer and cleaned up their dinner trash. Dean even checked on Castiel to make sure he was ok before he locked up, set the alarm, and went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case anyone is confused, this work is based on A/B/O for the sole purpose of the two idiots having their own children.  
> And if you're wondering why you got two emails about chapter five being posted twice, it's because Twilight fucked up and posted the chapter early before we were finished. This means that we had to copy and paste our work all over again. Kudos to you, Twi.
> 
> Bite me babe.


	6. Leaving Lisa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean leaves Lisa and things get ugly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWILIGHT I SWEAR IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY POST ANOTHER CHAPTER I WILL EAT AN ENTIRE CHOCOLATE SANTA CLAUSE
> 
> -oh, and we made the idiot's twitter acccounts. Everyone is now obligated to follow them-  
> Cas: @blueeyedseraph1  
> Dean: @DeanWin71601707

After Castiel left when the sun rose, Dean fell into bed to sleep for about four hours so he wouldn't look like a zombie when he broke up with Lisa. Castiel was all he had ever wanted and Dean knew that he'd come back eventually. Lisa might have thought different but that was just too bad for her now wasn't it?

Dean decided that he'd ask her to come meet him at the shop for lunch so that he could break the news to her in private. Well as private as a mechanic shop office can be. But not until he went back to work. It gave Dean plenty of time to work out what he wanted to say to break up with her. He might be dumping her but he didn't have to be a dick about it.

Lisa smiled at her phone fondly when she received the alert from _**My Prince Charming.**_ She quickly texted him back, saying she'd pack something for the both of them and slipped into a yellow sundress with white sandals.

Dean had just finished working on a '59 Impala for a friend of his dad's when Lisa arrived for lunch. "I'm gonna take my break dad. Is that cool? I need to talk to Lisa and clear things up so I can go for the person I really want." He asked quietly.

Of course, John didn't hear, but he did look up when the bell above the door jingled and Dean's soon-to-be ex-girlfriend walked in with a brown woven picnic basket on her arm. She approached Dean with her movie star smile, pulling him in and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Hey honey!"

"Uh hey. Let's go into the office." Dean said with a fake smile he was sure Lisa couldn't see as anything but genuine joy at seeing her. He didn't take her hand but he did lead her to the office and close the door once they were inside. He also nicely pulled her chair out for her before he took a seat behind the desk.

This behavior was nothing new to Lisa. Dean always sat behind the desk to make himself more masculine--at least, that's what she thought. She took the seat that was pulled out and sat down, gently putting the basket on the desktop and pulling out some deli sandwiches she had "made." Once everything was distributed, she picked up her sandwich to begin eating. "I'm surprised you wanted to have a lunch date. You usually skip lunch to work."

"Today is different. I wanted to talk to you about something." Dean said calmly. He ate a couple sandwiches to be polite and hid his distaste at the packaged taste behind a fake smile.

Lisa could feel her heart race. She had been hinting at moving in together for _MONTHS_ now. Had Dean finally caught on to all of the signals? "Oh really?" she hid her own genuine smile behind her own sandwich.

Dean nodded. "You're a nice person Lisa. But I've been doing a lot of thinking. It was great in the beginning of our relationship. You being an Alpha didn't bother me at all. But now, I feel like both of us being Alphas is a problem. I feel like you think that I'm an Omega or at least a submissive Alpha which isn't true at all." He began.

Lisa's face fell instantly. "Excuse me?" her eyebrows raised competitively. "What are you trying to say?" her jaw clenched.

Dean sighed. "What I'm saying is that I think we should stop seeing each other. Two Alphas can't make it work. Look at us. We're fighting bitterly every time we're in the room with each other for more than five minutes." He replied.

Lisa seemed flabbergasted. Her heart raced for a different reason now, and her eyes turned bright red. "Can't make it work!?" she snarled, rising to her feet. "I've been doing nothing but making it work! You're the one who has been a little bitch this entire time!"

Dean's eyes shaded red in response to Lisa's but he didn't let his Alpha run free like Lisa did. He stood up as well. "You've done nothing but make it work? You're full of shit. You want to take over _my_ space. Move into _my home_. Change the way I have _my_ space set up. And you have the gall to call me a bitch? Why? Because I won't let you move into _my_ house? Or is it because I won't mate with you because I'd rather die than be stuck with a bitch like you? Or is it because after you opened your legs on the first date, I refused to fuck you again? Take your pick Lisa." He said coldly.

"Because people in relationships are _supposed_ to see advancement!" she barked. "And if mating is really your issue here, it seems like _you're_ frustrated because you haven't gotten dick since the dark ages! What is it little Omega, are you always in heat!?" it would be a lie if Lisa said she didn't smirk internally at her remark. "And enough with that 'women are easy' bullshit! You know damn well that you spread my legs for me and crawled on top of me!" she shouted. Aaaannnnnd, cue the slandering lightbulb that flicked on in her head. "You raped me! Dean Winchester, you raped me!" she shout it at the top of her lungs, hoping anyone within the block could hear.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?! Everyone that knows me knows I'd never fucking rape you! And besides, who was the bitch who was panting like an Omega in heat? If I remember correctly you stupid whore, _you_ were the one on top! _YOU_ rode _my_ fucking knot like you were going for Olympic gold!" Dean snarled as he finally got angry.

"Because _you_ manipulated _me!"_ she spat, and reached for the closest thing she could find. A stapler. Good enough. She flung it at his head.

Dean caught the stapler and laughed mockingly. "Oh Lisa. I didn't want to tell you this but the only reason I fucked you is because I felt sorry for you. The poor little female Alpha no one wanted because she thought her pussy was made of gold. You begged me to fuck you. And I like it when my partners beg. Makes them remember their place." He sneered.

She was made of gold, thank you very fucking much! "Oh don't act like you're so high and mighty!" unpleasant Alpha smell filled the entire office. "At least I didn't waste my life away hoping my childhood friend would magically return and be spontaneously in love with me!" she growled at him.

"I can't believe you. You're jealous of Cas because I liked him more than you? You should thank him you cunt. If it weren't for Cas, I'd have never looked twice at you! I've seen female Alphas that look way prettier than you! And they're much nicer too! But I'm glad I opened my eyes and saw how much of a toxic cesspool of disgusting hateful sludge you really were before I committed to you." Dean sneered.

Lisa lunged at him. She dug her nails into Dean's neck to hold him still and bit down on his shoulder, marking him. Now Dean would have to explain to Cas-and the entire world- who he truly belonged to. It was permanently on his body, after all. 

With the noise the commotion caused, John had asked his business partner, Bobby, to go check up on them.

Dean swore loudly and punched her in the face. This fucking bitch! Dean grabbed a still hot muffler pipe and pressed it to the bite mark. The pain was excruciating but he hoped it would be enough to get rid of the fucking mark.

Bobby yanked Lisa and shoved her out of the shop. Then he went to slap the muffler out of Dean's hands. He felt like a father sometimes. He screamed at John to get ice, which made him run in with a red and white cooler. "What happened son?" John asked, eyes white. Mary would kill him if something hurt her child--no matter how old he was.

"I broke up with her and she fucking bit me! I had to get it off!" Dean replied, blood running down his arm from burning his shoulder. His eyes were still red and angry. Boy did Dean wish he'd done more than hit her in the face once. He should've torn her fucking throat out for thinking she could force him to accept her.

Bobby had shoved a bunch of ice on Dean's shoulder and ran out to get a few bags to contain it. "That doesn't mean you should use a muffler! Now we're going to have to take you to the hospital to remove the tissue!" 

John grabbed Dean's phone from the desk to call an ambulance when his eyes squinted at the screen. "You got a text message from a random number asking if they left a _clown fish_ tie at your place?" he looked at his son suspiciously. 

Dean smiled fondly. "Fucking Cas." He chuckled. He texted Cas back telling him that it was hanging on the guest room closet door because he didn't want it to get stepped on or wrinkled.

Everything clicked for John after that. Why Dean wanted the day off, why Mary gave him the ride of a lifetime to ease him into giving three days off. It explained all of the times Dean would come back home late or when Mary would nudge him in the side with her elbow. John could see all of it clearly now, and all it took was seeing his son's expression when Cas texted.

John called for the ambulance and it rushed over. He told the paramedics what happened, and got in the vehicle so his son wouldn't have to be alone. Bobby could close up the shop when it came to be that time.

"Are you gonna tell mom?" Dean asked worriedly. Mary would go through the roof and Omega or not, his mother wasn't someone to fuck with. Being an Omega with children would keep her out of jail if she did go after Lisa though.

John thought for a moment. He _really_ didn't want to be paying any assault charges on behalf of his wife. "Tell you what, if they get all this stuff cleared off, I won't tell her. But if they can't, she's gotta know. Okay?" 

"Fair enough. Oh god I gotta tell Cas. He's gonna be unhappy." Dean groaned.

John tried to stifle a smile from appearing. "You gotta tell him, hmmm?" he started to tease.

"Yeah. I don't want any secrets between us. I told him everything. He's my best friend and I want him to be my mate." Dean replied. He sighed.

Looks like John owed his wife forty dollars. He texted a money emoji to her, knowing she would be receiving her 'celebratory I-told-you-so' sex. "Alright, tell him." he handed Dean his phone.

Dean sighed heavily and dialed Cas.

Castiel answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hey Cas. Um I broke up with Lisa today." Dean said.

Cas got a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest. He never thought that Dean would actually do it. At least not that soon or anything. There was some crinkling on his side of the line. "Oh really? How'd that go?"

"Bad. She bit me." Dean replied.

There was silence for a good few minutes before he was able to answer. "She what!?" _'sir, that'll be $10.50_ ' there was some more rustling. "Lisa bit you?"

"Yeah. So I burned myself with a muffler. To get rid of it. I'm on my way to the hospital." Dean replied.

Castiel sighed. He had been trying to train Dean out of instantly going to the extreme for years. Apparently that was a lost cause. "Okay, what hospital? I'm coming."

"Lawrence General. Dad is with me." Dean replied. "But Cas I had to. I couldn't come to you with her mark on me. She's not my mate." He said.

"We'll talk when I get there." Cas answered. He was rushing out of the store to drive to the hospital.

"You think Cas is your true mate?" John gushed.

Dean blushed. "So what if I do?" He mumbled.

* * *

Castiel drove to the hospital as fast as he could. He did some semi-illegal parking and rushed inside with a purse (he claimed it was a satchel) and went up to the front desk. He gave his name, who he was looking for, and once he was accepted as a valid visitor, he went up in the elevator to see Dean.

When he got to the room, John left to give them some privacy. Cas had gently sat his purse down on the counter and took the cushioned seat that was pulled up next to the hospital bed. "If you weren't already in enough pain, I'd slap you for being an idiot." he stated matter-of-factly.

 "I'm sorry. I was already in Alpha rage from fighting with Lisa and I wasn't thinking. I refused to let that bitch put her bite on me." Dean said.

Cas sent him a reassuring smile. "It's alright. At least you were honest with her." he patted Dean's hand. "How's your shoulder?"

"Second degree burns. On my hand too. But the doc says I should be fine. They're gonna remove the burned tissue." Dean replied.

Cas' face scrunched up. "That's going to hurt like a bitch." he responded, getting to his feet. "Luckily I have something to cheer you up!" he went to the counter and opened up his purse. He removed a plastic bag that had a goldfish in it. "Ta Da!"

Dean laughed. "Cute." He said.

"I figured that since you have a lot of animals, I should at least have one. I may not have much space in my apartment, but who needs a clock when you can set up a fish tank!?" he smiled.

"Cas why don't you come stay with me? I'll make you a fish room." Dean said.

Castiel sent him a confused look. "Well, for starters, I've only been back for two weeks." he could already hear the devil's advocate in his head telling him that someone would have to take care of Dean while the rest of his shoulder still healed. "And I just got everything unpacked. I'm a young and dashing bachelor who can make it on his own...besides, what would my students think!? The newspaper would definitely say something and......what kind of tanks?" he squinted at Dean.

Dean knew he could win him over if he played it right. "Oh you know fresh water salt water and combo tanks. And plenty of fish to fill both." He replied.


	7. A Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Dean is done at the hospital, Castiel stays over for a couple of days to make sure he'll be okay.

Pink lace apron tied around his waist, wooden bed desk in red mitten hands, a newfound talent for opening doors with his toes, and Castiel had brought Dean some breakfast. "So I attempted pancakes again. I was going to be all fancy and flip them, but then I saw your penis waffle machine and got carried away." he blushed brightly and put the tray on Dean's lap. He had a trail of whipped cream acting as cum for the waffle cocks, with maple syrup used as pubic hair. There was a pile of scrambled eggs on the side of the plate, a bowl of fruit in the bottom right corner of the desk, and a glass of milk on Dean's nightstand. "After you eat, I'm going to have to check the bandages and wash the wounds, which will be tons of fun for you." he smirked.

Dean laughed. "Gabe got that for me as a gag gift. I used that bitch so much I could operate it with my eyes closed. So Lisa was wrong. I have gotten lots of dick. Just not in the sexual sense." He replied. Dean started eating his breakfast. After Cas left for work, Dean would call the workers to start building the tanks for the fish he was sure Cas would fill them with. He wanted them done before he got done recovering. It was going to be his courting gift to Cas.

Castiel got dressed while Dean ate. He put on a light blue button down with suspenders over them. He had on navy blue dress pants and black dress shoes to match. He'd pull a trenchcoat on over that when it was time to leave. Once clothes were on, Cas brushed his teeth and hair, sprayed some of Dean's manly cologne under his arms (what Dean didn't know wouldn't hurt him) and went to grab the new bandages and a washcloth.

Dean chuckled. Castiel must have forgotten that Dean could smell better than him. But he let him wear it. And pretended like he didn't notice. Besides, he was purposely hiding the courting gift from Cas so it was the least he could do. "I'm ready for my sponge bath nurse." Dean teased.

Castiel groaned. "I had a feeling Nurse Samuel wouldn't show up!" he teased back, putting the materials on the nightstand. He pushed the bed desk to the side and managed to get Dean out of his tanktop. He let that fall to the floor and started to unweave the old bandages. When they were off, he gently cleaned the area and wrapped it back up again. 

"Thanks Cas. Did the mark disappear?" Dean asked. He would be pissed if he'd put himself through the agony of a burning hot muffler for nothing. The meds the docs put him on made sure he slept a lot. And Dean hated it. But if he didn't want to be screaming in agony, he had to take them. Maybe he'd ask his mom to visit so he wouldn't get in the way of the builders.

"There's still too much damage to tell." Cas answered. He secured the bandage around Dean's shoulder and sighed. "It'll be okay, I promise. Even if it isn't gone. You could get another mark from a mate, a tattoo, some concealer..." he listed a few ways before absentmindedly cleaning up the space around him. "Did you take your pills yet?"

"Yes. I took them. You're going to be late if you stay. I'll be here when you get back. Go teach the morons something." Dean replied with a grin.

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. I'm going." he grabbed his keys and slipped his coat on. "I'll see you tonight." and with that, he was gone.

Dean smiled fondly as he waited until Castiel was gone. Then he called the people who were going to put the tanks in for him. Dean described what he needed and that he needed it done in secret since it was a surprise.

A few hoops had to be jumped through since Dean wanted it done quickly. The workers would have to bring in small amounts of everything to be able to keep the project hidden. They would also have to come and get measurements, design a plan to fit with the room, and get the proper materials for the tank setup. It was definitely not a one day type of project depending on tank size.

Dean didn't mind paying extra. It was a courting gift. He'd pay as much as he had to pay to get it done right. Dean gave them the design idea he had drawn out for the tanks. They were all free standing for the freshwater and wall tanks for the saltwater.

A couple of hours later and a crew came to start the building process. They followed Dean into the room where he wanted them built and took measurements, sending them back to the guys at the shop who were building and putting together the decor.

"Thanks a lot Benny. Cas is gonna love this. And that adorable dork is gonna fill them all up." Dean grinned at his best friend.

Benny tipped his hat to Dean. "Yeah, yeah. Just remember that the water needs to stabilize for a few days. Then he can add whatever he wants."

"I'll let Cas deal with all that. I'm just gonna show him the tanks. He'll know what to do." Dean said. He was starting to hurt so he needed to take a pill.

Benny nodded. "Alright brother, take care of yourself." he patted Dean's good shoulder and left.

Dean smiled and headed to his room.

* * *

After work, Castiel drove to his apartment to feed his goldfish. He grabbed a few clothes and tossed them into a bag before getting back into his car to drive to Dean's place.

 

Dean was asleep when Cas got back but woke up when he heard Castiel's car pull into the driveway. Yawning, Dean got up and headed out to greet him.

Castiel was already looking pretty tired for the day. His coat and suspenders were off, his hair was all ruffled, and he was the epitamy of, "those dammed kids!" for poor Castiel had thought that leaving the classroom to help a teacher with a jammed printer would be a good idea. The results of the classroom proved that he was dealing with a remedial mindset, given how he had returned to a messy chalkboard, a tumbled over podium, and a security guard who was escorting a boy out for peeing into a Gatorade bottle and giving it to a girl to drink--which unfortunately, she did.

Coming home--to stay with--Dean for a while instantly put a smile on his weary face. His back had straightened, chest puffed out, and an added skip to his step was in place. "Honey, I'm home!" he teased playfully, walking up to his roommate and helping him back inside. "How was your day?"

"Better than yours from the looks of it. I made dinner. Spaghetti, garlic bread, green beans, and salad." Dean replied as he looped his good arm around Cas.

"All that with only one good arm? I'm being spoiled!" he chuckled. "My day was okay, up until I had a student pee into a Gatorade bottle and gave it to a girl to drink." Cas said.

Dean laughed full-bellied. "Oh man! That's terrible. Hey remember when Benny, Gabe, and me put whipped cream and strawberry syrup all over the gym and strung up the anatomy class bodies to look like a slaughter house?"

"Ah yes, the Great Prank of whatever the year was." he grinned playfully.

"Sophomore year. Man the principal was pissed." Dean said.

"No shit he was pissed! It got you guys suspended for three weeks--and you tried to convince me to join you!" he smiled warmly.

"Hell yeah I did. It was a blast. But I'm glad you didn't. I'd have never passed otherwise. You brought all my work." Dean laughed.

"Don't make me out to be your accomplice." he hummed, and put his things down on the coffee table.

Dean laughed. "You didn't turn us in even though you knew we were planning it. So that kinda makes you an accomplice. But we didn't give you up." He replied as he got everything on the table without hurting himself.

Castiel snorted. "I didn't think you'd actually do it. Besides, I kind of wanted to see your inner interior decorator flourish." he smirked. "I need to use the bathroom, then I'll come help set the table before you hurt yourself."

Dean shook his head with a grin. "You know where the bathroom is right?" He asked. His shoulder was starting to hurt a little so he decided he'd wait for Castiel to come back from the bathroom.

* * *

Castiel used the bathroom and set the table when he had returned. He carried the food to the table, but before he sat down, he checked Dean's bandages, cleaned them, and gave him a pain pill.

Dean took the pill and swallowed it down with some water. He sat down and dished up some food.

 Castiel helped him get food on his plate before getting some for himself.

"Thanks Cas." Dean smiled as he dug into his food.

"You're welcome, Dean." he smiled back and ate his dinner.

After dinner, Dean grabbed chocolate chip cookie ice cream out of the freezer. "Want some?" He asked. As if he didn't know.

Castiel bounded over. Of course he wanted some. He wasn't insane. "Yes please."

Dean laughed and grabbed two bowls and two spoons.

Castiel rolled his eyes and took the bowls from Dean. He put them back where they belonged in the cupboard and took a spoon. "Real men eat ice cream from the container. Now come to the couch and tell me all of the town gossip I missed out on!"

"Ok ok!" Dean laughed. He obeyed him and sat down on the couch. Dean filled him in on everything.

"The last mayor before the one we have now, has a predilection for bedding mated female Omegas. And paying their Alphas not to seek prosecution for it. Well anyway, he saw my Mom at the town picnic and tried to make a move on her. My mom wasn't having it though so right in front of the whole town, she told him exactly what he could do with his proposition and before my Dad could hit him, she knocked him out cold." Dean said.

Castiel snorted. "I know I've said it before, but I love your mother." he grinned. "So what happened to the mayor? Did your father assassinate him!? That's what I would do if I caught someone trying to do that to my significant other."

Dean laughed. "No he didn't. But that was only because there were way too many witnesses. However, Dad _did_ visit him later and beat him half to death." He replied.

Castiel nodded. "Understandable. Anything else super noteworthy?" 

"Yeah. Remember that guy Alastair? The one that used to stalk us because he thought I was his boyfriend?" Dean asked.

Castiel nodded. "How could I not!? He sent me death threats for _years_ because he thought I was trying to steal you."

Dean winced. He remembered that. "Yeah well he was arrested and put away for life." He said.

Cas' eyebrows raised in surprise. "Can't say I'm surprised; yet, I am." he scooped some ice cream into his mouth. "I should've held your hand whenever he stalked us. But I was going through my no homo phase."

Dean snorted. "I like that. No homo phase. Anyway, he got arrested because he stepped up his game from stalking to kidnapping." He said.

"Damn." Cas shook his head. "People are crazy.

"Yup. They sure are." Dean agreed.

* * *

Castiel and Dean finished off the carton of icecream. Cas took their spoons to wash and put away after he threw the empty container out. While he cleaned, Dean took his meds and curled up on the couch.

When the spoons were put away and the garbage taken out, Castiel walked over to the sofa. "Ready for bed?" 

"Mmhmm." Dean yawned. He stood up slowly.

Castiel put an arm around him to help him stand. History proved that Dean always swayed whenever he was super sleepy. Either way, Castiel walked him to bed and helped him get settled. 

"Love you Cas." Dean mumbled, already half asleep after Castiel got him settled in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering how I came up with that Gatorade thing, it's because it happened at my school. Don't trust the NJROTC kids for a MINUTE! -LNC


	8. A Gift (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gift is revealed and Castiel finds his own way to thank Dean.

The next morning, Dean woke up and his eyes widened when he remembered his mumbled words to Castiel last night. Did Castiel hear him? Did he freak out? Was he still in the next room? Dean was working himself into a panic.

Dean took a minute to calm himself down before he headed to the kitchen.

Castiel was wrapped in one of Dean's white bathrobes. His hair was all tousled, sleep stained eyes, and mixing eggs in a pan. The table was already set with plates, utensils, and glasses all accompanied by a gallon of milk, apple and orange juice, and sides like french toast, a bowl of fruit, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Morning Cas." Dean said as he grabbed a cup of coffee and an empty pair of juice glasses.

Castiel grumbled a 'good morning' in response. He was laboring over some eggs, plopping a pile on a plate. He hated mornings. If mornings were a person, he wouldn't take them to an aquarium. 

Dean smiled. He was kind of glad Castiel hadn't gotten over his intense dislike of all things morning. Dean saw the juice glasses and put the ones in his hand back in the cabinet. "After breakfast, I have something to show you." He said.

Cas turned the stove off and carried the plate of scrambled eggs to the table. It was fairly obvious to tell that he had nothing underneath the robe, given how it was tied loosely around his waist, exposing tiny chest hairs. His muscular thighs were also on full display, but no cares were given since he was with Dean. "After work," Cas grumbled. "Gotta go in for five minutes because Cassie couldn't find the exams."

Dean smiled. "Alright. Have fun at work." He said as he skimmed his fingers over Castiel's chest before sitting down.

Castiel looked down at his chest bewilderingly. Did he catch a crumb or something? Why would Dean do that? He shook the thoughts from his mind and scooped some eggs onto Dean's plate. When he was sure that he gave him enough, Cas put the plate down so he could slip into the guest room to change.

He returned from the guest room in a pair of blue skinny jeans (which Dean still refused to admit he owned), a maroon tee shirt with a gray anchor, and black tennis shoes. His hair had been tamed by his fingers, armpits sprayed with Dean's cologne again, but Cas still remained annoyed at the sun. Why the hell did it need to be so bright!? Especially this _early_!

He shuffled back to his spot at the kitchen table and scarfed down as much food as he could before he had to leave. "I'll clean up and switch your bandages when I get back. Do you need a pill before I go?"

"No Cas. I'm good for now. If I need one, I'll take one. Go before you're late." Dean replied fondly.

Castiel got up hesitantly. He would've gotten Dean a pill to be on the safe side. Oh well. He walked to the coat rack and pulled on his tan trenchcoat. Then he checked for his keys and wallet, smiled when they were in there, and left to go find those exams.

While Castiel was gone, Dean sprinted to put the final touches on the tanks. He had to have them done before Castiel got home.

* * *

Castiel got to his classroom safely. He found the missing exams (which the librarian apparently forgot to print out) and gave them to Cassie. He made sure to smirk when his classroom groaned at the tests, and left shortly after.

_Those little shits should learn to pick up his damn syllabus from time to time._

Cas waved them goodbye and ran to his car like it was a gold medal.

 

* * *

 

Dean had cleaned up and somehow managed to shower without soaking his bandages and was dressed in pajama pants and a tank top when Castiel got back.

Cas pulled into Dean's driveway twenty minutes later. There had been some slight morning traffic since all of the students and employees were rushing to get to school or work. He always found it strange that people didn't manage their time better. Why get up thirty minutes before you have to leave!? What was the point in rushing out of the door and risking being late?

He pushed those thoughts to the side as he opened the front door (he purposely hadn't locked it) and went inside. "Honey, I'm home!" he called in a sing-song. One day he'd get Dean to watch _Chicago_ so they could banter around with the "you've been fucking the milkman!?" lyric.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Dean called. The room was finally ready for Dean to show him but to get to it without Castiel seeing it fully until he was inside, he had to enter through the kitchen.

Dean was very satisfied with the results of the tank room. Two walls were saltwater fish, two walls were freshwater fish and there were two or three free-standing tanks that held a combination of fresh and saltwater fish. There was a supply shelf with food to feed the fish and an octopus shaped chair for Castiel to sit and relax in while he was watching the fish. In the corner of the room, was a huge oyster that opened into a little nest with a pearl shaped pillow for when Castiel wanted to hide from people. Dean knew that sometimes Castiel got overwhelmed but felt he had to stay because he didn't want to be rude. The final touch had been a coded door knob that only he and Castiel would know the combination to. Dean would only use the code if he absolutely needed to get into the room for an emergency.

Castiel closed the door gently behind him and made his way to the kitchen. Dean's house was huge, but the kitchen was his second most visited room, so he didn't wind up getting lost. He stepped through the opening of the door. "How're you feeling?" Cas asked once he found Dean.

"I feel good for now. But I wanted to show you something I've been working on all day for you. After that I'll probably need a bandage change and a pill." Dean replied with a huge smile on his face.

"I'd really rather not sit through another _Musicalé a la Winchester_ ," Castiel chuckled. "How about I get your bandages changed and get you another pill? Then you can show me whatever installment of _'What does Dean traumatize me with this week?'_ you have prepared this time." he smirked.

Dean gave him a bitch face. "The only one that was traumatized was me." He said.

Castiel snorted. "Why? Cause those tights cut off blood circulation to your thighs? I warned you about that when it was just an idea." 

Dean tried to keep the grin off his face. "I worked hard on this you ass. Now come look." He said.

Castiel rolled his eyes. He went over to the counter and grabbed a box of bandages. He brought them over to Dean, pushed on his chest to get him to sit, and started unweaving the old bandages. "I'm sure you struggled into the spandex you're wearing underneath your pajamas." he teased.

The bandages came off without any difficulty and he threw them away. He then grabbed a washcloth and started to clean the wound. "Well it's definitely looking better. Still incredibly gross and full of pus, but definitely getting better."

When the wound was properly cleaned off, Castiel wrapped it up in clean bandages and threw the old ones out. Then he grabbed a bottle of Dean's pain pills and gave him one. "Swallow this down and then you can make me suffer."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Actually I'm naked under these pajamas." He said as he took the pill. Dean swallowed it down with some water. "Come on. I wanna show you before I pass out." He said.

Cas held his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright. Lead the way, Cap'n!"

Dean led him to the door of the room. "Cover your eyes." He said.

Castiel groaned. This wasn't going to end well. At all. All of Dean's "gifts" always turned out that way. Still, he had worked hard on this, and Cas would be damned if he didn't approach anything enthusiastically. He looped an arm around Dean's good one so he wouldn't bump into anything and closed his eyes. "Do your worst, Winchester." 

"No peeking Cas. I'll know. And I'll be unhappy." Dean said as he opened the door and led Castiel into the tank room. He turned the lights on and made sure that there wasn't anything that Castiel could trip over. "Ok Cas. Almost ready." Dean said cheerfully. He flicked a few more switches to turn the tank lights on. "Alright. Open your eyes." Dean said proudly.

Whenever he felt Dean move, Castiel would squeeze his arm to make sure that he was still there. When he was finally allowed to open his eyes, his jaw dropped all the way to the floor, eyes widening in complete wonderment. "Dean," he was breathless, barely able to manage another sentence. "This-this is--" he slowly turned to look at all of the tanks, heart racing with each new installment. Dean did all of this for _him?_ What had he done to deserve this! There would be no way in hell that he'd be able to comprehend how much time and money went into this, but it wasn't something for him to dwell on. "I can't believe this!" a grin lit up his face as he withdrew his arm from Dean's and approached the octopus chair.

Dean felt his chest puff up in Alpha pride. He'd made his Omega happy. Even if technically Castiel wasn't his. Yet. But he would be. And Dean knew he'd done good. This was for Castiel so Dean silently slipped out and left him to enjoy his surprise. He waited for him on the couch and ended up falling asleep on the couch from the pain pill.

Castiel spent all of Dean's nap time in the room. He even curled up in the nest and just listened to the gentle hum of the filters. It soothed him into his own catnap, but his internal clock woke him up when it was time to start dinner for Dean.

He carefully slipped out of the nest and into the kitchen. He pulled out a colander, pot, and saucepan along with all of his cooking instruments. He was making spaghetti tonight, and got the water ready to boil while he started chopping up some garlic, onion, and bell peppers.

Dean woke up to the smell of dinner and stretched. He yawned and headed into the kitchen to ask Castiel how he liked it.

Elated Omega scent filled the entire kitchen. Cas was humming to himself while he worked. Once he finished everything, he turned around to smile at Dean. "Good morning, princess."

Dean didn't mind the jab from his best friend. It made him grin. "I take it you liked the surprise?" He asked smugly. Dean started helping Cas in the kitchen.

Castiel blushed. "Liked it? I love it. I'm so happy I could kiss you!"

"So why don't you?" Dean asked softly.

Castiel turned around quizzically, sauce stained spoon in hand. His head tilted, eyes squinted, nose wrinkled all while he processed the words that Dean had said. His body quickly relaxed, eyes now fluctuating between Dean's large pupils and his plump, chapped lips. And Castiel could have sworn that fate moved his legs for him, because his next few actions would only be apart of childhood dreams he longed would dive into the real world. He was knew at this. He hadn't done this before. Usually Alphas were the initiator of things, but in this moment, it was all Cas. His hands slid up Dean's sides to his waist, chest, finally making home to his impressive jaw. He inched closer, pulling Dean closer to his body as much as he could. He could feel his hands shake while his thumbs gently caressed Dean's smile lines. The moment their lips touched, Castiel knew that he would undeniably belong to Dean. So he waited. Enjoyed the silence between them while the world outside blasted in cacophonous jealousy. And soon, his tan face tilted slightly, lips making landfall against Dean's cushioned pink ones. There wasn't denying what was always between them now; and at Dean's reciprocation, their fate was sealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo my dudez! Do you totally like Supernatural? What about roleplaying? Well hon hon une bagette bunches of oats, do I have an Amino community for you!!! It's called Supernatural Roleplayers and ya guuurl LNC over here is the agent Leader! The previous curation team was inactive, soI was made leader! I'd really appreciate it if you joined and checked the community out! Feel free to make all the (related) posts that you want! Our latest feed could use some awesome posts, so come join us here: http://aminoapps.com/c/supernatural-roleplayers
> 
> Oh and before the French critics come to attack the Musicale a la Winchester comment, it is SUPPOSED to be wrong! It was just Castiel joking around.


	9. You and I Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is forced to face up to some things he thought he'd kept a tight lid on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creds to Twi for aCCIDENTALLY POSTING THIS FOR THE THIRD OR FOURTH FREAKING TIME IN THIS STORY

Dean moaned and curled an arm around Castiel's waist as he kissed him back. This moment was a long time coming if he was being honest with himself. Everything had been leading up to this moment. It was why Dean hadn't settled down. It was also why Dean had reacted so instantaneously and so violently when Lisa had bitten him. Because his inner Alpha knew he had belonged to the Omega from the moment they met.

Castiel slowly pulled his lips apart from Dean. His eyes opened slowly, a slight smirk pulling the corners of his lips up. "Some Alpha. Can't even kiss me first." he teased.

Dean smirked back. "Just wait until my stupid shoulder heals." He replied as he kissed Castiel again. Dean wanted him drenched in his scent. Now that Castiel was his, he wanted everyone to know it. Dean was also sort of addicted to the taste of Castiel's mouth. So sue him.

Cas teasingly pulled away from Dean's kiss. He knew everything that he was thinking right now, and he would not allow Dean to think his heart could be won over so quickly. "You did that to yourself," Castiel reminded him, and turned on his heel to begin fixing their dinner plates. He knew that Dean would want to be as clingy as possible so Cas would smell just like him to ward any other Alphas off. But if Dean really wanted to do that, he would really need to wine and dine Cas. Make him feel special. That was what Alphas were supposed to do to their Omegas--not that Cas was his yet--among other things. "Do you want sauce on your spaghetti?"

Dean smiled. That was test number two passed with flying colors. That showed Dean that he wasn't a clingy, weak Omega. It made Dean less anxious about Castiel being on his own. "Of course." He replied, already planning his next six moves in his mind.

Castiel grabbed a ladle and scooped some sauce on each of their pile of noodles. Just to be a prick, he cut Dean's noodles for him and gently put the plate in front of him. He sat a tad closer to Dean than he normally did, but it was only by a few inches. It wouldn't be that noticeable. Or so he told himself. "I think I'm going to take Friday off and take you to the hospital for your shoulder." he said, picking up his fork and twirling it into a sea of noodles. "It should have healed itself by now. Your Alphaness should've kicked in to fix it and I haven't found any rut suppressants anywhere--don't get mad, you know I'm nosy--so something is possibly wrong." he shoveled the pile of noodles into his mouth.

"Ok. That's fine. Dad and Uncle Bobby threatened to shoot me if I dared step foot into the shop anyway with my busted shoulder. And the pills quit working a few days ago. Plus I can't lift my arm past my stomach anyway." Dean replied as he ate with his good hand.

Cas stopped eating. "The pills what!?" he immediately got up and rushed over to Dean to check on his shoulder. He undid the bandages trying to find where he messed up; stressed Omega scent now overtaking the pleasant one. "You have to go now!"

"Calm down Cas. I was gonna go after dinner. It was my fault anyway. The muffler was dirty." Dean said.

Castiel looked as if Dean had just offended his great ancestors. He quickly swiped their plates away, put the food up, and grabbed his car keys. "Ass. Car. Now." he ordered, index finger pointing to the front door. "You can finish eating when we get back. Your dumbass should have told me right away."

Dean gave the most self-suffering sigh in creation like Castiel had just told him he was a cave man or something but dutifully got up and went to the car. Because he just wanted to get back to his food.

Cas pulled his trench coat on again and stuffed the charger to his cellphone into the pocket. Then he followed Dean out to the car, locking the front door behind him, and made sure Dean was comfortable in the passenger seat. He sent Dean a glare after closing the door and jogged over to the driver's side. He slid in, got his seat belt on, checked the mirrors, and pulled out of the driveway.

Dean put on an innocent face. It wasn't like he'd purposely hidden this from him. It was just something he didn't think about.

* * *

Thanks to picking up Dean's illegal driving ways, Castiel made it to the hospital in record time. He found a relatively close parking space, and quickly ushered Dean out of the car and into the waiting room. He had Dean seated in the first chair that he saw was empty and rushed over to grab a clipboard so he could fill out all of the information that the hospital would need. At least there were perks when it came to knowing someone for a lifetime. Of course, he couldn't let Dean off easy though, he muttered a few swears and digs as he filled out the paperwork so Dean could hear his complaints. They were mainly about how Dean was an irresponsible Alpha, which he knew would only make Dean want to become better. 

The wait wasn't as long as Cas had expected, though. Maybe it was because he lightly threatened the receptionists, or maybe it was the work of his baby blues that swept the Beta's hearts into making the doctors move faster. If it weren't for the distressed Omega scent, the baby blue argument may have had some validation. Omegas just tended to bond to their Alphas--which Cas continued to swear that Dean wasn't his Alpha yet--while the courting process was happening. Either way, a nurse quickly took them back to a room so that the doctor could see Dean.

Castiel paced around the room while Dean got comfortable on the bed. What if something horribly wrong happened!? What if the wound got infected and was slowly killing Dean!? What if there was something worse that was going on!?

A Beta doctor came into the room and smiled. "Hello there. It seems your Alpha healing hasn't kicked in and fixed your shoulder yet yes?" She asked.

Dean nodded. "Yeah. I burned it with a muffler." He replied.

"Well let's get some blood work and tests done and see what's going on." The Beta doctor said

 Castiel stood off to the side while Dean and the doctor talked. He was officially on edge, and teetered on his heels while the doctor extracted a needle from a bag and got Dean's arm ready. He hated needles. And he especially hated having to watch someone get one.

Dean was calm while the doctor took blood from him and ran a few simple tests while the blood was being tested. "Your Omega is pretty antsy over there." The doctor said.

Dean chuckled. "He hates needles. And he's equal parts worried and angry at me right now." He said. The doctor nodded and smiled.

"I am not antsy." Castiel corrected. Though in hindsight, standing in a corner with your back facing your best friend and doctor wasn't really a good sign, 

Dean snorted. He wasn't buying it for a second. But before he could call him on it, the doctor came back. "It would seem that your body is attacking your shoulder because of the bite mark you got. It says that you were forcibly bitten by another Alpha with the intent to force a mating." She said.

Dean growled just remembering it. "Yeah. Hence the muffler. I ended things with her." He replied.

Castiel folded his arms across his chest while he listened to the doctor explain everything. "Dean isn't the best person to react to things," he tried to explain, "Dean takes the extreme route without considering any other options."

The Beta doctor laughed. "Yes well Alpha pairings don't work out if both Alphas aren't completely in agreement with it. Mr. Winchester actually reacted quite tamely, harming himself rather than going into an Alpha rage and killing the female Alpha and any other Alpha in the area." She replied. "The official diagnosis is blood toxicity due to forced mark syndrome." The doctor added.

Castiel sent the wall a bitch face. He would never understand Alphas and how they operate. Life was much simpler as an Omega who took daily suppressants. 

"And I'm showing the idiot in the ER didn't give you an antibiotic. Just pain pills. So I'm going to check and make sure there isn't any lasting muscle and nerve damage then I'll give you a couple of antibiotic shots and an Alpha healing booster." The doctor said.

When the doctor left to get the shots and such, Castiel turned around from the wall. His arms were folded across his chest, and he looked less than enthused to be standing in the room with Dean.  

"Don't act like this is my fault. I didn't ask her to bite me." Dean said. He wasn't forcing Castiel to stay. He could leave anytime he wanted to.

"But you also decided it would be smart to burn your shoulder with a hot, rusty muffler and oh yeah, not tell me when your medicine stopped working!" Cas barked. "Honestly Dean, do you have a death wish or something?" he walked closer to the Alpha as he talked. "You always have to do stupid shit like this."

"It's been ten years Cas! You never tried to stay in touch. I sent you hundreds of emails, letters, texts, and I didn't get a single one back. And I still waited. Like some romance novel Omega waiting for her dashing Alpha to sweep her off her feet. And then you come back like everything's the same and it's not! It's not the same! Who cares if the damned pain pills stopped working?! They didn't cure my shoulder! They didn't flush that bitch's poison out of my system! The only thing they did for me was numb the pain and make me sleep. I was useless. And who wants a useless fucking Alpha?" Dean spat back.

Unhappy Omega scent flared throughout the room. "You never sent me a damn message a day in those ten years." Cas hissed. "Besides, _you_  were the one who told me to follow my dreams. You were the one who _encouraged_ me to go to the best school I could get into, so don't try to use the same guilt tripping methods on me now that you used back then." he snarled.  "And frankly, I don't appreciate you talking about Omegas like we're the scum of the earth. I care about the damned pain pills not working because I care about you, but you're too jaded by your own damn selfishness that it blinds you. And for the record, I would want a useless fucking Alpha if that Alpha were _you_." with that, Castiel stormed out of the room.

It had all spiraled out of control so quickly. Dean groaned. He thought he'd buried those stupid feelings when Castiel left. He was right. Dean _had_ told him to get into a great college and follow his dreams. But he was wrong about Dean not writing. He had all the damned letters Castiel sent back unopened and unread. He had the emails on his computer that the server sent back because the address was no longer valid. And the text messages on his phone records that weren't sent because the number was out of service. Maybe Dean had resented Castiel a little for choosing a place that wasn't with him but they weren't mates at the time.

And they weren't mates now. At least that's what Castiel told himself as he slammed the keys to his car on the reception desk. "Tell him to go home." he mumbled to the startled nurse as he made his way outside. Cas pulled out his wallet and scavenged around for some coins. He found two dollars, which would be enough to get him on a bus ride to his Dean-free apartment. And that's just what he did. He climbed on, paid for his ride, and avoided the look of any passenger willing to look his way. 

Cas was back at his apartment within the hour. He had let his coat fall to the floor as easily as he had put it on. He fed his goldfish, soon crash landing into his bed where he could erase Dean's lingering scent away with a Yankee candle. He was stupid. He was reckless. Always for Dean, but never having it returned to him. Maybe he should've just stayed in Australia, or continued to drive past him. 

* * *

 

Mary had been coming by to see Jess at the hospital when she heard the argument and the results. Her motherly instincts told her that she needed to fix this because they deserved to be happy together. So she did what any nosy mother would do and she dropped all the returned letters, text messages, and printed out emails off on Castiel's doorstep. Dean had always done everything according to what Castiel would say or think or feel about it. And when he left to college, Dean had finally done things for himself. But he needed Castiel and Mary had to make the stubborn Omega see that.

* * *

Cas didn't emerge from his apartment for two days. He would've stayed in longer, but his fish needed food and he was not going to risk his pet dying over some stupid Alpha. There was no point in getting dressed. It wasn't a weekday, so he didn't need to try and make his students think he was mentally stable. He opened his door, completely unaware that Mary had even dropped off anything (his neighbors had four bratty kids who liked to steal his mail. This was a gold mine for them) and went down to the lobby. Dean hadn't returned his car, which Castiel expected. Dean always tried to use people for their nice cars. Though Cas never expected to be one of those people. Whatever. Their friendship was clearly over now. He decided to walk instead. It was healthier for him anyways, and maybe he would end up bumping into Mr. Right on the street? He wouldn't want to miss that opportunity.  

 


	10. Lisa Ruins Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stranger and a friend help Castiel and Dean realize that what they have should be worth fighting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all~ l wanted to let you know why updates during October/November weren't very often. Basically, I lost two grandparents in a three week time span (one three days before my birthday), issues at school made me depressed, and my cell phone completely died so I couldn't edit on the go. I have a new phone now (the Stylo 3 Plus--which I'm LOVING right now) so hopefully we can get back on track with the story.  
> -LNC

Dean had gotten worse after Castiel left. He was admitted an hour after the irate Omega left. Mary was by his side constantly. She wanted to be angry at Castiel for doing this to her son but it was Lisa's fault. She was the one that bit Dean not Castiel. The doctors kept saying he'd be fine but Mary knew better. Dean had pushed Castiel away because he felt that he was less than what Castiel deserved.

One of Dean's visitors happened to be none other than Lisa herself. Jessica had posted something on Dean's facebook wall saying she hoped he felt better, and Lisa was quite the "checker upper" of her exes so she saw the post. She really didn't have a filter as to what was right and what was wrong, so she went to visit him in the hospital.

Mary couldn't believe her eyes. The bitch responsible for her son's ever worsening condition had the audacity to visit him like they were friends?! "What the hell are you doing here?!" She snarled.

Lisa stared at Mary innocently. "I'm bringing my boyfriend something to make him feel better." She presented a wicker basket with muffins in it.

"Dean isn't your boyfriend and you're not welcome here. Get out and take your poison with you." Mary spat. John wasn't here to keep Mary at bay either and Alpha or not, Lisa would get her ass kicked if she didn't do as she was told.

Lisa seemed confused. "Of course he's my boyfriend." She spoke like Mary was insane. "And I was just dropping these off. I know my deanie isn't feeling so good."

Mary's eyes gleamed Omega gold in anger. "After what you did to him? You're lucky I'm not calling the police and having you arrested!" She growled angrily. Dean was under heavy sedation to try and help him heal because the Alpha boosters weren't helping.

Lisa stared at Mary blankly, not understanding why she was getting yelled at. "We just had a small fight." she smiled sweetly. "When he and I argue, he just needs a few days to get over it and then we're fine." her scent didn't falter at all. Omegas never intimidated her. They were weak.

Mary stood up, fists clenched in rage. "Get out. Get OUT GET THE FUCK OUT!" She screamed at the end furiously.

Lisa put the muffin basket down and patted Mary's shoulder. "No need to fret Mary, I would never hurt Dean. I don't understand where all of this is coming from, but he must've lied to you."

Mary punched her in the face. And yeah it hurt but it was worth it. She violated her son. Bit him against his will! Lisa put her son here in this bed. Instead of Dean being with Castiel, his true mate, he was stuck here in this bed fighting for his life because of this bitch in front of her and she had the complete and utter gall to touch her like she was her friend?!

Lisa stepped back with a gasp. She couldn't believe that Mary would have the audacity to do that! She was an Alpha, and she would quickly put Mary in her place--if it weren't for the team of security that rushed in after hearing the commotion. She was quickly escorted out of the building, the muffin basket being long forgotten on the floor. She would have her revenge, though. Lisa swore to it.

* * *

 

Castiel walked out of the lobby and tightened his coat around his waist. The air was getting drastically colder. Soon he'd be able to see his own breath. His feet shuffled in his sneakers, Dean's scent somehow managing to linger on his collar. He tried to ignore it. He did. But Dean was too much of a monument in his life for him to forget completely. Still, there was alcohol, and that might help a tad.

He shuffled down to the sidewalk and to the street. He waited for the trafic to slow so he could quickly dash across the street, soon making landfall on the concrete. Then it was more shoveling. This time an added shiver when the wind picked up. Soon however, he'd be saved by the comforting warmth of the grocery store's heater.

An Alpha bumped into Castiel as he passed. "Oh I'm sorry." He said. He sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "You're an Omega." He said.

Castiel blushed bashfully. "Yes, I am."

"Smells like you have an Alpha too. Jeez where are my manners? My name is Gadreel." The Alpha said.

Cas quickly shook his head. "I don't have an Alpha." He stated quickly. "I was taking care of one for awhile. But he had to go to the hospital." Cas looked down shamefully. "My name's Castiel. But most people call me Cas."

Gadreel smiled. "I had a mate. Abner. He died. He was the best Omega ever. Well to me he was. Can I buy you some coffee? You seem like a pretty cool Omega too." He asked.

Cas' blush deepened. "I would love some. It's a bit chilly out anyways. A warm drink couldn't hurt anything."

The two ended up in a nearby café. "I apologize for earlier. It just looked to me like you lost your mate and I couldn't help but notice you." Gadreel said quietly as they waited for their drinks.

Castiel smiled at him sweetly. "It's quite alright. To be quite honest, I don't know what's going on with him. But we were never together, so it doesn't really matter." A slight blush painted his cheeks. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you notice me? I could really use a pick-me-up right about now."

Gadreel chuckled. "Your scent attracted me at first. The combination of salt water, mechanic grease, and nature. Then it was your face when you looked up. Or more specifically your eyes. They reminded me of Abner's eyes." He said.

Cas' blush deepened. "Then I presume Abner had very blue eyes." A waitress brought over two styrofoam cups. One had Gadreel's name on it, the other Cas'. Their orders were checked off on the back of the mugs, and Cas reached over for a sugar packet to pour into his hot cocoa. He always had a bit of a sweet tooth. He blamed it on Dean.

"How about this? You tell me about your Alpha and I'll tell you about my Omega. Do we have a deal?" Gadreel asked.

Cas' lips puckered and his eyes squinted. Something seemed a little suspicious, but he soon let it go. All the guy wanted to do was have a conversation. So, Cas took a sip of his cocoa and leaned back in his seat. "There isn't really much to say about him." Cas shrugged. "We grew up together. He was-is-whatever-my best friend. He encouraged me to go to school, and when I came back and started taking care of him, he didn't tell me that his pain pills weren't working so I took him to the hospital. Long story short, he yelled at me about the past ten years. I yelled back, and I left."

"Ahhh. I see. Abner and I met when we were young. We mated and married young. He didn't tell me he had cancer. We had a huge fight because I felt betrayed. It was very selfish of me to feel that way. Abner didn't tell me because he didn't want our life together tainted by sadness and worry. And to answer your earlier statement, yes. Abner had very blue eyes. They were bluer than the deepest ocean. And they sparkled brighter than any gem in the world. Even on the day I held his hand as he took his final breath. But that is a sad story and that isn't what you wanted to hear." Gadreel seemed to come back from a faraway place.

Cas' eyes welled up a teeny bit. His heart broke for Gadreel. He couldn't even begin imagine what it would be like to lose someone. Not in that way, at least. "I'm so sorry to hear that." Cas mumbled. "I know it isn't my place to say this. I never met him, but he is in a better place." Cas' soft eyes showed his sorrow for Gadreel.

Gadreel smiled. "Yes he is. That makes me happy. The moral of the story is that for better or worse, you should hold onto your loved ones. You never know when you won't have them anymore. I wait until I can see Abner again. And call me old fashioned but I choose to wait alone." He said.

Castiel chuckled softly. "You sound like Dean. He's a traditional hopeless romantic. He wants to have one marriage and have an 'apple pie life' with an Omega and pups."

"Then that is an Alpha worth fighting for. Many Alphas have lost those traditional values and see Omegas as property. The more they have the better they are. It's sad." Gadreel said. He looked at his watch and his eyes widened. "Oh dear. I'm late to visit Abner. Please excuse me."

Castiel nodded. "Of course. I need to visit the grocery store anyways." He stood up and dropped a couple bills on the table as a tip. Then he followed Gadreel out to the street and parted ways.

Gadreel bought some flowers and headed off to visit his mate so he could tell him all about the Omega with his eyes.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Dean's visitors were screaned by Mary before allowed access into the room. Obviously, John and Bobby stopped by after their shifts at the shop, and near the early evening, one of Dean's friends stopped by to pay a visit. 

"Hey there, brother." Came a sweet, southern draw. The smell of cigars and whiskey filled the room as the fellow Alpha took a seat next to his friend's bedside. "Heard you were comatose." He teased.

Dean laughed weakly. "I wish. I woke up to the most beautiful sight ever dude. My mom punched my ex in the face like she was an Alpha rather than an Omega." He replied.

 Benny snorted. "If I didn't know your mother I'd think you were lyin' to me." He leaned back and propped his feet up on the bed like he owned the place. "So what's goin' on, brother? Your mother told me you and ole blue eyes had a fallin' out."

Dean winced as his mother turned on her Mother Face of Doom toward him. "Uh yeah. I got the stupid idea that I was dying and I didn't want Cas to watch me do it so I pushed him away. It serves me right if he never wants to see me again." He said.

Benny tsk'ed and shook his head. He fought back the urge to take out a cigar from his coat pocket and light it. He had no intention of becoming the day's second victim of Mary Winchester's wrath. "You've been in love with him since you were teenagers, though." Benny said. "You dreamed about the two of you livin' the domestic life, goin' through ups and downs together. Why push him away when he wants to take care of you?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Because I'm stupid." Dean replied. He sighed as he sat up. "What about you bro? How's your Omega search coming?" Dean asked.

Benny shook his head. "Not well." He admitted. "The one's I've been meeting are either too needy, too dependant, too emotionally unstable, or going through menopause. I haven't given up yet, though."

"Doc says I'm healing up nicely now that they've flushed the poison out of my system. Soon as they let me out, I'm gonna make it up to Cas and win him back. He's the one I want and I won't take anyone else. And he needs to know that." Dean said. Mary made a 'Thank God' face.

Benny smiled. "Good on you, brother. I bet he really misses you. Omegas get attached, 'specially if they've grown up with an Alpha for a best friend." He wiggled his eyebrows at Dean. "You're lucky though, found yours early on in life."

"Don't worry man. You'll find yours when you least expect it. And knowing you brother, he or she is gonna be a spitfire." Dean grinned.

Benny snorted. "Lord knows that's the truth. My Omega is goin' to be spoiled rotten n' everyone is gonna know it."

Dean laughed. "And God help the poor bastard that gets in your way."

Benny raised an imaginary glass in the air as an acknowledgement. "Amen, brother." He slid his feet down from the bed and sat up. "Alright, well I best be on my way. I'm goin to a mixer tonight n' see if that proves to be useful." He stood to his feet and patted Dean's knee. "Call me if you need me. But please don't need me when I'm indisposed."

Dean laughed. "Gotcha." He replied. He grabbed a handy notebook and pen that his mother brought him and outlined a most likely overly romantic plan to win Castiel's heart back and say he was sorry at the same time.

Mary got up and followed Benny out the door. "Benny can I ask you a favor? One that I don't want Dean to know about?" She asked.

Benny raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Of course, Mrs. Winchester. What do you need?"

"You're practically another son Benny. Call me Mary or mom. Anyway, that ugly bitch came to see my son while he was unconscious earlier and I don't want her near him again. This is her fault. She poisoned my son. I want you to investigate her. I have a feeling that she has done more damage than even she realizes." Mary said.

A smirk tugged at Benny's lips. "Deal."


	11. Is it too Late to Say I'm Sorry?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean apologizes big because he can't help himself. All he's ever wanted was to do right by Cas. And Benny meets his Omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeennnlllloooo everybody~  
> Sorry about going weeks on end without updating. But you know, Twi and I were enjoying the holidays soooo yeah!
> 
> But hey, you got a long chapter to make up for it!

A few days later, and Dean was released from the hospital with a brand new shoulder. He immediately began planning a huge romantic apology for his Omega, because that's the type of thing Alphas did when they were in lo-courting.

 Because he was a good friend, Benny helped get Dean back home and helped out as much as he could. Among doing other things, he was currently across the room from Dean in the special room he had built for Castiel (he insisted they brainstorm there). Benny was serving as more of a wall to bounce romantic apologies for, rather than being any actual help. He had his nose stuffed into his laptop, doing some high tech hacking into Lisa's personal email and messages. As was the life of a full-time private investigator and part-time love guru.

 "I got it!" Dean practically screamed in triumph. He grabbed a notepad and a pen and started writing furiously. When he was done, Dean dragged an unsuspecting Benny (who had luckily gotten a hold of his laptop) to the kitchen.

 Benny stumbled over his feet while Dean pulled him along. Whatever it was, it better be worth losing some research time. "What is it, brother?"

 Dean started grabbing bags of cocoa powder, sugar, flour, and a helluva lot of vanilla from the cupboards and mixed them all together. He forced--uh, kindly fed his friend several different types of chocolate mixes until he got the perfect batch.

 Unfortunately for Dean, he did not have a reputation of being a good cook, and all of the chocolate tasting only proved to Benny that his toilet would become his best friend in a matter of hours.

 Because Dean was a sadist of the highest order-Uh a loving brother-He invited his brother Sam over (a few hours prior--but Sam took his sweet time because Dean only invited him over to torture him) to taste test food dishes for the apology dinner. He was a growing moose and needed all the food he could get.

 At least someone would be here to feel Benny's pain. "What's the plan, brother? You goin' to poison Castiel with bad chocolate and give him the cure when he forgives you?"

 Dean looked insulted. "No ass. I'm going to cook for him. It's not my fault that you have shitty taste." He said.

 "I don't have a taste for shit. I have a taste for _good_ food." Benny corrected.

 "Which you have no idea about because you eat take out you ass." Dean snorted. He narrowed his eyes. Where the hell was his moose brother?

 Benny rolled his eyes. "Better take out than food poisoning." He added.

 "I feel sorry for your future Omega. He or she better know how to cook or they'll end up living off take-out." Dean sneered fondly.

 Once again, Benny rolled his eyes, adding a sarcastic scoff to his response. "Yeah yeah, Winchester. You better hope Cas knows how to cook. Or else you're both gonna be S.O.L."

 "I can kick your ass now. I'm all healed up." Dean said as Sam finally showed up.

 Benny snorted as he got up to answer the door for Sam. "Save it for your Omega, brother. I'm sure that's his type of thing." He opened the door and Sam walked in with a large plastic bag. "I brought pie and beer."

 "Sammy! My hero! Get in here and have a seat favorite brother of mine." Dean sent Benny a dirty look.

 Benny held his hands up in defense as Sam walked in and put the plastic bag on the kichen island. "What smells like chocolate fart?" He asked.

 "I was experimenting." Dean replied defensively as he pulled out two pans of perfect fudge brownies.

 Sam sent Benny an apologetic look. "And you're the taste tester? How did you survive!?"

 "You're next, bitch, so take a seat." Dean said as he put the brownies to cool and stirred a pot simmering on the stove at the same time.

 Sam held his arms up in defense.

 Dean dished up a bowl of stew and placed it in front of Sam. He added a slice of freshly buttered cheddar cornbread.

 Benny opened his laptop up again and went back to investigating Lisa. He had stumbled into an interesting rabbit hole, and if he found what he thought he was going to, Mary and Dean would go ballistic.

 "Eat up Sammy. Tell me what you think." Dean said as he put a lasagna in the oven.

 Sam made a pained face and grabbed a spoon. "What is this for again?"

 "It's for Cas so suck it up buttercup. You're an Alpha so act like one." Dean replied.

 Sam groaned and scooped some of the stew into his mouth. "It's great!" he tried to lie, though by the way he let the soup fall out of his mouth, it was practically poison.

 Across the room, Benny's eyes widened as he stared at the screen before him. "Hey brother, you might want to see this."

 Dean came across the room to look and his eyes widened as well. "Benny is this what I think it is?" He asked.

 Benny nodded. "Every message ever sent to 'ole Blue Eyes been intercepted by your ex."

 Dean fought the Alpha rage. It wasn't the time to give into that particular beast. Sam and Benny weren't the ones he needed to take it out on. That calmed his Alpha enough that he could keep the rage contained. "All this time Cas must have thought I hated him or something. That I resented him or didn't want anything to do with him." He said through clenched teeth.

 With a few clicks, Benny started printing out the records of each message Dean sent. "Now a bad time to remind you that you screamed at him for never responding?"

* * *

 Castiel sat on a pink cushion, surrounded by other annoyed--or bored--looking men. The smell of lilac was being sprayed from some air freshner, and some pop music was playing on a speaker overhead. He had a pile of skin tight dresses on his lap, and watched as the door to a dressing room opened with his younger brother Samandriel stepping out in a sparkly, purple dress.

 With another repressed sigh and internal eye roll, Castiel forced a smile on his face. "You look great. Can we go now?" His patience was wearing thin after being stuck there for the fifth hour.

 "Alright. Jeez you must be really unhappy. You usually endure this with more grace." Samandriel Novak replied as he scooped the pile off his brother's lap and added the last dress to it. He headed to the counter to pay for them.

 Castiel scoffed. Usually he just texted Dean throughout the dress shopping outings, but they currently weren't talking so he was stuck with complete and utter boredom. He got up and followed his brother to the register, prepared to yet again, be the entourage that carried all of his bags for him. Since he was a good older brother (and frankly, could've used a day of getting out of his apartment for some retail therapy) he paid for his brother's dresses and signed the receipt. He could have an existential crisis about the money he spent later.

 As the purchases were bagged and on Cas' wrist, he held the door open as he and his brother left the shop in the mall. "So, how's the Alpha search going? Find any suitors at the club yet?" he asked.

 "Ugh no. They're all either assholes, knot-heads, or they don't want to settle down. It's disgusting. I'm on the verge of giving up," Samandriel replied. "What about you though? You finally got the Alpha you always wanted so why aren't you with him right now?"

 Castiel chuckled. That was pretty much the same description he had given his friends whenever they asked why he hadn't settled down yet. Whatever he had of a smile faded away when his brother brought up Dean. "I never _got_ the Alpha I always wanted," he corrected, "Dean and I were _just_ friends. Nothing more, nothing less. And it'll always be like that."

Samandried scoffed. "For someone so smart you sure are dumb brother. Let me enlighten you. When you followed your dreams like Dean told you to, he was so proud. He bragged to everyone that would listen that you were gonna be something great. He wouldn't shut up honestly. It was as annoying as it was heartening. Now I don't know what you two fought over and I don't care. But when you didn't write back or email back or text back, it broke Dean's heart. He thought you were angry that he pushed you to pursue your dreams. It hurt the whole town to see Dean so unhappy. Oh sure he tried to pretend he was ok by dating all those other people but we all knew it was a bandaid and nothing more. We all had to watch Dean wait and suffer for the Omega he bonded to when you were both kids. And then Lisa came along and dug her venomous claws into him and we were all afraid that she'd destroy him. But then you came back and Dean was Dean again. And Lisa ruined it. Or rather you allowed Lisa to ruin it. So I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for you at the moment brother." He said.

Cas' eyebrows furrowed. "Why does everyone keep saying I never responded? Dean never sent me a message to begin with. If he did, I would've answered." He let the door close behind them as they made their way into a shoe store. "I didn't allow for anything to happen. Dean is a grown man who can decide things for himself. And I never asked for sympathy, brother mine. I never have."

"That may be the case Cas but I know you. You say one thing but you don't always mean that exact thing. Dean was wrong for burning himself with that muffler. But _you_ were wrong for attacking him when he was already feeling like crap. You let your anger at Dean being Dean get the best of you and rather than being the rational one that we all know you should have been, you treated Dean like he was just some stupid knot head that was lucky you were there. You haven't gone to see him since have you?" Samandriel asked.

Castiel always took everything Samandriel said with a grain of salt. But he had to admit when he was in the right, no matter how much he would want to deny it because it made him look bad. "He was the one who started up with the ten years thing. He escalated it. I was simply upset because he didn't tell me so I couldn't take care of him. And for the record, he was lucky I was there to take care of him. He could've died if the infection got the better of him. And for the record, no, I haven't seen him. Only because I know he wouldn't want to see me."

Samandriel gave him a look like he was an idiot. "Oh so suddenly you can read his mind now? I bet you he thinks he has to do this retarded grand apology because you made it worse." He scoffed.

Castiel sighed. He was beginning to understand why some of his students used drugs. He'd give anything to not have to listen to his pompous little brother berate him for everything he did. "We were friends for a long time. We know how the other person works. And don't ever use retarded like that ever again. It is extremely offensive."

Samandriel held back the urge to roll his eyes because Castiel was his favorite brother. "I get why you were upset. I just think that Dean shouldn't be the only one apologizing." He said in a kinder voice.

"And if--for some strange reason--he and I see each other again, he won't be the only one apologising." Cas responded.

Samandriel and Mary Winchester were good friends. For one they were both sassy Omegas that didn't take shit from Alphas. And for two, they both had Alpha family members that couldn't cook. Mary sent Samandriel a text message asking him to make sure that Castiel was at the park at seven pm. He texted her back that he'd make it happen and for her not to worry her pretty little head.

Castiel ignored Samandriel being on his phone. It had grown into a huge part of their get togethers ever since his little brother had started working at a club. He had clients to attend to, and since Samandriel could afford really expensive clothes, they were quite generous. Cas walked around the shoe store and looked for the tallest, sparklest heels he could find. That was always what his little brother looked for in shoes, so Cas would deliver.

"Hey Cas can you do me a favor?" Samandriel looked up from his phone as he followed his brother into the shoe aisle. He picked a few pairs of stilettos and tried them on. Being a typical Omega, Samandriel was small and feminine looking so he could get away with what he was doing.

"Hmm?" Cas hummed, picking up a pair of kitten heels that would put the Crown Jewels to shame.

Samandriel added those to his cart because damn his brother had taste. For a manly Omega. "Can you go to the park with me tonight at 7?" He asked as he found a pair of dominatrix boots.

Cas' eyebrows furrowed as his hands found their way to his hips. "Why?" He was suspicious. Nothing good ever came out of his brother going places at night.

Samandriel have his brother a pathetic look. "Because you're bigger than me and you don't look like an Omega. I want to enjoy the stars without worrying about being raped." He replied.

Castiel groaned. "But why? I'm already paying for your stuff. Why do I have to stay out past my bedtime?"

"You are the only sibling I trust to actually stay with me." Samandriel huffed.

Castiel grumbled something and found a pair of the glitteriest heels he could find. "Fine. But we're going our separate ways right when the clock hits nine thirty."

"Deal." Samandriel agreed instantly, which was something he usually never ever did.

Castiel squinted at Samandriel suspiciously. He was never quick to agree to something. They usually fought over stuff like this for a good while. Though, Cas wasn't going to say anything. If he got to leave when he wanted to, then he would comply.

Samandriel smiled innocently. "And you have awesome taste for a manly Omega brother." He said cheerfully.

* * *

Castiel and Samandriel ended up spending the entire day at the mall. They bought all of the "hoe-ist" heels that fit Samandriel, skin tight dresses to match, and Cas even let his younger brother talk him into getting a mani-pedi. Which, Castiel happened to enjoy. He'd be caught dead if he said that to his sibling, though.

When they had officially finished with their excursion, Castiel opened the passenger door of his car for Samandriel to get in while he unloaded everything into the trunk. When he finished, he closed his brother's door and went to the driver's side. "So, which park do you want to go to?"

Samandriel checked the text message. "The one that we all played at when we were kids." He replied.

 "Alright." Cas buckled in and turned the engine on. He sometimes found his brother to be quite silly with stuff like this. There was plenty of other parks in the area. But no. He had to cling to sentiment. Oh well. Maybe someone will come into his life and show him a different way of doing things.

* * *

 Mary and Dean had dragged Benny along with them, without his laptop and other PI tools, to the park. Dean had rushed around setting up the spot with all the letters he'd written to his Omega over the years they were apart. The last one was at a table for two on an empty plate and Dean wrote that one that day before they came to the park.

Benny and Mary helped set up orange lanterns and small white lights all around the trees. They even rolled out a carpet and helped to set the table. "I'm going to be pissed if this doesn't work. I'm missing the premier of The Omegaette for this." Benny grumbled.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you watch that garbage." He scoffed. "Shush you two. They're here." Mary scolded.

"Come on Cas! We have to go this way!" Samandriel whined. He was dressed like he was at work rather than walking in the park.

"You can't blame me." Castiel argued. "You were the one who insisted I be blindfolded." He grumbled.

"It won't be for very long! Jeez calm down Cas!" Samandriel said cheerfully. He led Castiel to the first letter location and took the blindfold off with a flourish. "There's a letter in the hollow of the tree. Get the letter and read it." He said.

Castiel shot his brother a glare and approached the tree. He felt around for it, soon pulling out a squirrel with a chewed letter in its mouth. "I suppose that's for me and not the creature." He turned to show his brother what he pulled out.

Samandriel nodded with a pout. "Yeah." He replied. Luckily the envelope was the only think damaged. Stupid squirrel.

Cas gently pried the squirrel off of the letter and put it back in the hollow of the tree. Then he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

 _Dear Cas,_  
_I know it's only been a year since we parted ways but it feels like it's been an eternity. I'm sure you're probably scoffing out loud and secretly melting or whatever it is you Omegas do. God I miss you so much. It's so miserable not having you next door anymore. Or living at my parent's house anymore. College is so different. I wish you were here to share it with me. We'd laugh at the idiots and gobble down pizza and beer and watch movies._  
_Dean._

Cas' eyebrows furrowed at the letter. He wasn't sure what was supposed to be going on, but it certainly felt planned. "Omegas don't secretly melt." he criticised, followed by a scoff. "If anything, I swoon."

Samandriel snorted. "To be fair, that was written a long time ago." He said as he led Castiel to the next letter.

Cas rolled his eyes and got the next letter. 

 _Dear Cas,_  
_I graduated top of my class. But I bet you knew I'd make it. I looked for you in the crowd because for a moment, I forgot you were gone. I emailed you but you must be busy because you haven't emailed me back. I get it though. Busy lives and all. Dad and Bobby have a place for me at the shop now that I'm done with school. I feel like such a girl because I call your phone just to hear your voicemail so I can hear your voice again._  
_Dean._

Casfrownedat the letter. He wouldn't admit to his heart breaking ever so slightly. His brother didn't need to see him like that. "What's the point in this?" he asked. 

* * *

The letter search went on for quite some time. There were a lot of messages to receive and read, and soon Castiel found himself standing directly in front of the red carpet that Benny and Mary had laid out previously. He could just barely make out some figures on the other end. By then he had a sneaking suspicion of who it was. 

"The final letter is at the table. My job is done now." Samandriel replied cheerfully.

 Cas took a deep breath. He gave his brother the pile of letters (seriously, how much could one Alpha write!?) and started down the carpet. When he was a little more than halfway across, he could see Dean perfectly and slowly approached.

Dean smiled as he saw Cas approach and pulled the chair out for him. "Will you join me?" He asked quietly.

Cas looked between the chair, Dean, and the table a few times before sighing heavily. He wanted to run away, but he also wanted to stay. He could never stay mad at him for too long. "Alright. But no funky business," he teased slightly and took a seat.

Dean chuckled. "I promise." He replied. Dean made sure he was comfortable before taking his own seat. Thankfully his mom cooked the food they were about to eat otherwise this little plan of his might have gone to shit. "You can either read that last letter now and then eat or you can eat first then read the letter." He said.

Castiel pulled his chair in and reached over to get the letter. "Might as well finish what I started," he teased lightly, tearing the final seal of the envelope.

Dean chuckled. That last letter was his greatest work he supposed. It held everything he couldn't say out loud. He just hoped that Castiel understood and forgave him. That he'd give Dean another chance. Because there was no one else for him.

Castiel opened the envelope and pulled the letter out.

_'Dear Cas,_  
_I can't say what I really want to say because I'm shit with words. So I wrote this instead._

_I love you more than I have ever loved myself. I would do anything for you. To make you happy. I'd die for you. But more importantly, I'd _live_ for you. Everything I've done, the house, the land, everything has been for you. Always for you. To make the best environment to start our life together. I'd wait for you for eternity if I had to. My heart has been incomplete without you by my side._

_I'm sorry for hurting you. You, who is my most precious treasure. If you'll allow me, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Treating you like the beautiful gem that you are. I need you Castiel Novak. You are the sun in my sky. The solace and balm to my soul and the home of my heart. Without you I am nothing. There is no me without you._

_All my love and everything that I am,_  
_Dean._

Castiel was stunned, to say the least. He had to read the letter over and over just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, or imagining the circumstance. There was still part of him that was upset; but Omegas were Omegas, and when a sweet gesture was done, they melted. It took him a bit longer than he had expected to meet Dean's gaze, and when he finally did he wasn't sure where to start. Judging by the flourish in his happy Omega scent, he was sure Dean would be able to understand. "Oh Dean," he mumbled after awhile. "I'm so sorry. I just--I got upset because you didn't tell me that you were in pain and I couldn't do anything to fix it." 

"I'm sorry too. I can't cook worth a damn but if you still want me, I'm here. I'll give you the best life I can provide. I'll do my damndest to make you happy and love you like you deserve to be loved." Dean said softly.


	12. Benny Meets Samandriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Dean is sweeping Castiel off his feet, Samandriel meets the Alpha that might make a housewife out of a hoe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ: Alrighty guys, we asked, you answered, and we listened! We asked to see what everyone's opinions on other ships in the work were, and we saw that readers were alright with other ships having one full chapter to themselves and then appear as sides later on in the story. So, Twi and I talked it over, and we decided that the FIRST HALF of this chapter will be dedicated to Bendriel, and the SECOND HALF will be dedicated to Destiel. There are lines in the chapter that will let you know when it goes from one ship to another. 
> 
> Though I do enjoy Bendriel, I don't ship it the way Twilight does, and I cannot bring myself to write a full chapter dedicated to them. I feel like this is a fair trade off. Besides, this story is dedicated to Destiel anyways. 
> 
> And one last thing before the chapter begins, it seems like some readers would like Castiel to have pups first --if that ends up being in the cards of this story-- what are everyone's thoughts on that?

Samandriel stood with Mary and some tall sexy looking Alpha as Dean and his brother made up from their fight. He was glad his brother and Dean made up. Castiel deserved to be happy. Now he could focus on work again to ignore his own loneliness. Samandriel was a liberated Omega though. He kept telling himself he didn't need an Alpha to validate his life but if he were honest with himself, Samandriel wanted an Alpha that he could come home to after a long day at work. He wanted someone to cuddle with at night. Someone that would love him and accept him for who he was, the way he was. Too many Alphas saw Samandriel as someone they could knot and leave but he wasn't that kind of Omega. That's why he worked in the industry he worked in. Samandriel catered to rich and powerful Alphas looking for a companion and not someone to put a knot in.

While they stared on at the dinner and the two idiot's reconciling, Benny slowly worked up the courage to place himself between Samandriel and Mary. He was hoping she would get the hint, and judging by the look on her face, she did.  When Mary was out of sight (probably cleaning up and calling her husband) Benny cleared his throat to begin speaking. "They're real sweet, aren't they?" was that a good opener? He wasn't sure. Unbelievingly,  Benny had never done this type of thing before. He never troubled himself with relationships in the past, as he was more interested in computers, so relationships, at times, could be an abstract concept. "I'm Benjamin. But most people call me Benny. Like Dean. He calls me Benny."

Samandriel looked over at the cute Alpha and smiled. "Hi. I'm Samandriel. They're sweet I guess." He said. This Alpha looked like he could be what Samandriel was looking for.

Nervous Alpha scent and awkward babbling later, Benny had somehow managed to get Samandriel's number. He wasn't sure how, this Omega had probably heard way better conversation starters, but somehow Benny had lucked out, and he was going to hope that this winning streak would continue.

**\---**

While Benny and Samandriel continued to talk the night away, Castiel and Dean ate their dinner. Cas made a mental note to thank Mary for stepping in so he wouldn't get food poisoning, and for helping out with the evening. When they had finished eating, Cas made another note on Dean being a complete gentleman. Though they couldn't leave together, Dean walked with Cas over to Benny and Samandriel. "Ready to go, little brother?" Cas asked. As much as he wanted to leave with Dean, he was the only source of transportation. And there was no way in _hell_ that he would let his brother go home with someone he barely knew (Cas had _definitely_ picked up on some subtle flirting between the two of them). Besides, Cas also knew how Dean operated, and had a feeling they weren't going to go straight to his place. They'd probably end up pulling over and making out somewhere.

Samandriel smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready to go. I'll text you with my off day so we can go on that date Mr. Cute but Awkward. But don't forget to text me first so I can have your number to text too." He said flirtatiously to the adorable Alpha. If he played his cards right, maybe Samandriel wouldn't have to call an Alpha service for his next heat. The Alphas were nice but they treated him like he was some kind of charity case because he used them.

"So you'll swing by the house later Cas?" Dean asked hopefully. He really, really wanted to continue making up with his Omega.

 Castiel nodded to Dean. "I need to stop at my place, first. Then I'll stop by." And with that, Cas led Samandriel back to his car.

**\---**

An hour later and Castiel had pulled into his brother's driveway. He made sure to get all the bags of shoes and dresses to carry in for Samandriel. He carefully laid the dresses on the bed, and put the bags of shoes on the floor by the foot of the bed. "Alright, well everything's in. I'm going to be on my way then."

Samandriel put his new stuff away in the closet and made himself some dinner. He hoped Benny would text him or call him soon. But he didn't want to look desperate so he pretended like it didn't matter.

Benny, however, did not call or text him. He had tried, trust him, he did. At times he even almost pressed the 'send' button, but nothing seemed good enough. He couldn't start a conversation with a 'hi' or 'hello.' Benny needed something memorable, and it was killing him to think of a good opener.

Samandriel figured he wouldn't text or call immediately but after a few days, the feminine Omega got disheartened. Maybe he wasn't as attractive to the cute Alpha as he first thought he was. He had only been wearing his casual stuff. If he'd seen him dressed for work, Benny most likely would have liked him more. But Samandriel wasn't going to let one setback kill him. He still worked and he still came home with his clothes smelling like other Alphas. He might not have fucked any of them but their scents always ended up slathered on him by the end of his workday.

* * *

He made sure his brother was settled before he left. He had driven back to his house, fed his goldfish, and packed an overnight bag. Dean was never one to let anyone go, if he could try.

Dean opened the door when he heard Castiel's car pull into the driveway. He met him in the driveway and smiled. "I'm glad you're here." He said softly.

Castiel smiled gently. "With all the hard work you put into this evening made it kind of hard to say no." he chuckled. 

Dean blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I realized that I was miserable without you. I needed you Cas. And Benny showed me proof that you weren't lying. That you never got any of my letters, emails, or texts. But not because I didn't send them but because Lisa intercepted them." He said.

Cas sent him a sympathetic look. "I know that now, and I'm sorry." he put a hand on Dean's cheek to caress him for a few moments. "You going to let me inside or what?"

Dean blushed a hundred shades of red and jumped aside. "Yes! Sorry. Come in!" He didn't know why he was so nervous all the sudden. This was Cas! His best friend! And he was acting like an idiot.

 Cas chuckled and stepped inside. He looked around, pretending as if he had never been inside before. "Nice place you got here," he smiled, turning to look over at his...what were they now? "I bet you make all the Omegas cream whenever they come here."

Dean chuckled and shook his head. "Confession time. I never dated any other Omegas. Betas only. And they never stayed long enough to come here." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck like a guilty child. Which he had nothing to be guilty of but still. He wanted to show Cas that he was capable of being a good Alpha to him and that he wasn't a stupid knothead asshole. That he was different from the other Alphas Cas had been with before him.

Cas' eyebrows raised in surprise. He had always expected Dean to just live on with his life. He didn't know he had gotten so attached to him. "Not one Omega?" He asked, still not entirely believing him. "I find that hard to believe. I mean," he paused to chuckle as his face heated pink. "Look at you. What Omega wouldn't go for you?"

Dean's face heated up. "Nope. Not one single Omega. There were plenty of interested ones. But none of them were you Cas so I couldn't. It just felt like I was cheating on you and I couldn't.....Not with an Omega. And I always wore a condom with my Beta partners. I didn't want to get them pregnant you know." He said.

Cas tried to restrain himself, he really did, but Dean being emotionally vulnerable like this was enough to make the Omega inside of him want to claim Dean as his own. He strode over to the Alpha and yanked on his collar, pulling him down and slamming their lips together.

Dean had zero objections to this and happily wrapped his arms around Cas. He kissed him back as he tugged Cas flush against him with a low growl. Cas was his his his his his Omega.

Castiel's head tilted to the side to deepen the kiss. His hands had went from Dean's collar to his jaw. With Dean's tight grip around him, Cas made sure to press against his touch.

Dean purred. One of his hands moved from around his waist to cup his neck. "You have always been the only Omega I have ever wanted." He said.

Cas was already a panting, sweaty mess. He could feel his heart against his chest, and he was pretty sure he'd feel something else against him if this escalated any more. "Mmmm. Those words are going to get you pinned down sooner or later."

Dean chuckled. "I have always known what I wanted Cas. Who I wanted. I was just waiting for you to come back to me. So if you're ready, so am I." He said as he kissed Cas again.

Cas pulled back ever so slightly so he could look Dean in the eyes. "I'm ready. I want to give this a shot." He let his thumb caress the side of Dean's cheek.

Dean smiled brightly. "I won't lie and say that things will be perfect but I can promise that I will love you without wavering for the rest of our lives and beyond." He said.

Castiel leaned in to plant a much sweeter kiss on Dean's lips. "And I promise that I won't be perfect, but I'll love you just the same. And I'll micromanage a lot." He teased the last bit.

Dean laughed. "You do that so very well. I want you to move in here where you belong. Bring your poor lonely goldfish and put him with the others and please move in." He said.

"I'll have you know that Bubbles isn't lonely. He chooses to be a bachelor." He took Dean's hands in his. "And I'll do it first thing tomorrow."

"And that tells me that he needs to get laid. Who the hell names a goldfish Bubbles, makes that poor goldfish a male, and then makes that poor male goldfish own a name like that? What is he a prison bitch?" Dean asked.

Cas rolled his eyes with a blush. "Bubbles is a fish of the Lord. He is living his life in a monastery. His first name is St. St Bubbles. Show some respect."


End file.
